The Ordination Prayers of the Ancient Western Churches is a thorough textual and historical study of the prayers and rites used for ordination in the ancient Western churches. It is a valuable primary source for scholars and students of theology interested in the history of liturgy and the development of church offices in early Christianity, particularly in the West (c. 30-600 CE). The author outlines the core structure of the ordination ritual and comments on the specific prayers and ceremonies for each rank of church office (bishop, presbyter/priest, deacon, deaconess, subdeacon, acolyte, and lector). Overall, the book is a scholarly compilation and analysis of ancient liturgical material, not a synopsis narrative in the sense of a fictional story. Its purpose is to document and explain the historical practices of the early church regarding ordination.