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The Senator and the Priest
One of America's most beloved storytellers, Father Andrew Greeley returns with an explosive novel about the corrosive political culture tearing apart America--and one man's family.
Tommy Moran, an Irish Catholic kid from the West Side of Chicago, fights for the underprivileged on the floor of the United States Senate. Swearing off negative attack ads, Moran is determined to restore civility and compassion to American politics. But his opponents don't share his scruples. Almost from the beginning, Tommy and his family find themselves besieged by vicious personal attacks, false rumors . . . and attempts at assassination!
As a freshman senator, Tommy must also cope with the temptations--both political and carnal--regularly thrown his way. The job takes its toll on him, but at least he has the support and love of his devoted wife, a daughter of Chicago's raucous O'Malley family.
But the opposition that hits home the hardest comes from an unlikely source: his own brother.
Father Tony Moran, a conservative Catholic priest, has never approved of Tommy's senatorial career, much to Tommy's dismay. So when Father Tony sides with Tommy's political enemies, it may be more than one man can bear.
Can anything heal the rift between…the Senator and the Priest?
Tommy Moran, an Irish Catholic kid from the West Side of Chicago, fights for the underprivileged on the floor of the United States Senate. Swearing off negative attack ads, Moran is determined to restore civility and compassion to American politics. But his opponents don't share his scruples. Almost from the beginning, Tommy and his family find themselves besieged by vicious personal attacks, false rumors . . . and attempts at assassination!
As a freshman senator, Tommy must also cope with the temptations--both political and carnal--regularly thrown his way. The job takes its toll on him, but at least he has the support and love of his devoted wife, a daughter of Chicago's raucous O'Malley family.
But the opposition that hits home the hardest comes from an unlikely source: his own brother.
Father Tony Moran, a conservative Catholic priest, has never approved of Tommy's senatorial career, much to Tommy's dismay. So when Father Tony sides with Tommy's political enemies, it may be more than one man can bear.
Can anything heal the rift between…the Senator and the Priest?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
25 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Andrew M. Greeley
379 books316 followersAndrew Greeley was a Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist, and author of 50 best-selling novels and more than 100 works of nonfiction. For decades, Greeley entertained readers with such popular characters as the mystery-solving priest Blackie Ryan and the fey, amateur sleuth Nuala Anne McGrail. His books typically center on Irish-American Roman Catholics living or working in Chicago.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/andrew...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 7, 2021
It's been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Reading this book by Andrew Greeley had that kind of a feel about it. It was written in 2006 but the situation it describes could very easily be today. Greeley does not name the President, the Majority or Minority Leaders so we can fill in our own heroes or villains which allows the book a very contemporary setting.
Andrew Greeley was a Chicago priest, sociologist, and prolific writer on many subjects. It's been said that he never had an unpublished thought. Clearly, he was a student of human nature. As a sociologist, he studied people's attitudes and opinions; as a priest, he studied the interaction between belief and behavior. Although his earlier novels suffered from a somewhat adolescent approach to sexuality, his later novels corrected the tendency.
Tommy Moran is a defense lawyer married to a lawyer who specializes in appellate work. When they have their family. Tommy becomes a stay-at-home dad while Mary Margaret, his wife, provides the family income. Tommy takes on the occasional case and writes a book about American politics. After a particularly notable victory in court, Tommy is drafted by the Democrats to run for the Senate. He decides to do it with the proviso that he will not engage in negative campaigning, attack ads, or asking people for money. Reluctantly, the Party gives in, and wonder of wonders, Tommy wins. It was not an easy victory with one of the state's two newspapers spreading lies about him, his opponent runs attack ads, and there is an assassination attempt. Even his older brother, a very conservative Catholic priest, is against him. The rest of the book is about the trials and tribulations of being a Senator and the effect it has on one's personal life. The way Greeley tells it, it is a job that no one would really want to have (and yet they keep running for it). The book ends with the re-election campaign and its aftermath.
Perhaps the best part of the book is a glimpse into the inner workings of the Senate. In the character of the older brother, Greeley gives us an idea of the problems facing Catholic politicians today, no matter how hard they try to maintain their faith and principles. Given his Chicago background, Greeley undoubtedly knows whereof he speaks.
My only complaint with the book is stylistic. Greeley sometimes switches narrators from Tommy to Mary Margaret without any obvious handoff. It is somewhat jarring to go from "I did" to "Tommy did" without any real break.
Andrew Greeley was a Chicago priest, sociologist, and prolific writer on many subjects. It's been said that he never had an unpublished thought. Clearly, he was a student of human nature. As a sociologist, he studied people's attitudes and opinions; as a priest, he studied the interaction between belief and behavior. Although his earlier novels suffered from a somewhat adolescent approach to sexuality, his later novels corrected the tendency.
Tommy Moran is a defense lawyer married to a lawyer who specializes in appellate work. When they have their family. Tommy becomes a stay-at-home dad while Mary Margaret, his wife, provides the family income. Tommy takes on the occasional case and writes a book about American politics. After a particularly notable victory in court, Tommy is drafted by the Democrats to run for the Senate. He decides to do it with the proviso that he will not engage in negative campaigning, attack ads, or asking people for money. Reluctantly, the Party gives in, and wonder of wonders, Tommy wins. It was not an easy victory with one of the state's two newspapers spreading lies about him, his opponent runs attack ads, and there is an assassination attempt. Even his older brother, a very conservative Catholic priest, is against him. The rest of the book is about the trials and tribulations of being a Senator and the effect it has on one's personal life. The way Greeley tells it, it is a job that no one would really want to have (and yet they keep running for it). The book ends with the re-election campaign and its aftermath.
Perhaps the best part of the book is a glimpse into the inner workings of the Senate. In the character of the older brother, Greeley gives us an idea of the problems facing Catholic politicians today, no matter how hard they try to maintain their faith and principles. Given his Chicago background, Greeley undoubtedly knows whereof he speaks.
My only complaint with the book is stylistic. Greeley sometimes switches narrators from Tommy to Mary Margaret without any obvious handoff. It is somewhat jarring to go from "I did" to "Tommy did" without any real break.
August 20, 2017
I enjoyed this Greeley novel from beginning get to end. I hope and want to believe that there actually are politicians with the combination of integrity that have and consistently follow their moral and spiritual compass. Although first published in 2006, what transpires before and during his term as a U.S. Senator sounds all too familiar with what has been happening in recent years. Truly a worthwhile read IMHO.
July 4, 2019
This was an older book (2006) and I probably picked it up at a book sale and it has been on my shelf for a long time. Not sure why I picked it up to read but it was a perfect read for the political scene that is taking place in DC today! Great writing by the author Andrew M. Greeley I haven’t read before. This book lets you behind the scenes of the Senate and how our elections have consequences for all of us. I was amazing how many parts of the book mirror exactly what we face now.
May 22, 2018
I picked up The Senator and the Priest, mistakenly thinking it was another Blackie Ryan mystery. There is something of a mystery in this, for lack of a better term, political thriller, but it isn’t anything like the late Father Greeley’s marquee mysteries. To be honest, for a political thriller, it doesn’t have that intense, world-threatening crisis of Seven Days in May, Fail Safe, or Patriot Games, either. It’s more Advise & Consent than The Manchurian Candidate. Yet, it was still engrossing!
It is somewhat intriguing that the story is told from both the perspective of a male and a female protagonist/narrator, the would-be Senator and his brilliant attorney spouse. Greeley grants nearly equal time to the two voices and the narrative seems to play to the strengths of both. Maybe it was appealing because some of the issues being faced haven’t changed in the decade since The Senator and the Priest was published (2006). Anyone who reads the following description of the political landscape could swear it was written in 2016 rather than 2006. The attorney is speaking about the Senator’s book. “The last couple of chapters, however, talked about attack methods in contemporary American politics. He argued that the deliberate destruction of an opponent in American political life was a dangerous threat to our society, both because such a strategy was far more effective in an age of television and, worse, created a polarization which had never existed before. …The result was that politics had become more vicious, and dislike and distrust for politics and politicians was increasing dramatically.” (pp. 45-46)
It is somewhat intriguing that the story is told from both the perspective of a male and a female protagonist/narrator, the would-be Senator and his brilliant attorney spouse. Greeley grants nearly equal time to the two voices and the narrative seems to play to the strengths of both. Maybe it was appealing because some of the issues being faced haven’t changed in the decade since The Senator and the Priest was published (2006). Anyone who reads the following description of the political landscape could swear it was written in 2016 rather than 2006. The attorney is speaking about the Senator’s book. “The last couple of chapters, however, talked about attack methods in contemporary American politics. He argued that the deliberate destruction of an opponent in American political life was a dangerous threat to our society, both because such a strategy was far more effective in an age of television and, worse, created a polarization which had never existed before. …The result was that politics had become more vicious, and dislike and distrust for politics and politicians was increasing dramatically.” (pp. 45-46)
June 10, 2025
While Greeley's book is an interesting look into elections and the inner workings at the Senate, it doesn't really reflect its title. Sure, Sen. Moran is the main character, but his brother Tony, the priest, merely show up occasionally otherwise lurking in the background. The senator takes a long time, years in fact, to decide whether to run for re-election. When he does run, the account zooms by in a handful of chapters rushing to the end. I wasn't fond of the point of view shifting between the Senator and his wife. With only numbered chapters and no chapter titles, it wasn't always readily apparent at the outset who was doing the storytelling. An entertaining read but not a great one.
January 23, 2019
I don’t need to read another. The writing was decent, the characters reasonably well developed, and the plot was OK but the book was meaningless, there was no sense of heading in s direction with an outcome. So, no more from Greeley.
June 9, 2021
A novel that is very hard to read in terms of the overused political jargon as well as a mediocre action that takes place. There should have been better editing as well since the novel is laced with typographic errors.
July 26, 2018
Great Book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Great Book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Andrew M. Greeley was a very gifted writer. I have most enjoyed his Blackie Ryan books.
Great Book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Andrew M. Greeley was a very gifted writer. I have most enjoyed his Blackie Ryan books.
December 4, 2020
*Rounded up from 2.5 stars.
April 22, 2021
Totally different then any Andrew M. Greeley novel I had read before. Did not anticipate enjoying a political drama but this book was great.
May 17, 2021
It's not a cheesy romance from the Christian fiction sectionso does that make it automatically good ?
No.
No.
November 18, 2021
Ok. A fast read. Published in 2006 addressing same issues we are now addressing (or not addressing by some).
August 27, 2022
1.5 stars
Usually like his books, but not this one.
Usually like his books, but not this one.
February 20, 2022
This was a bait-and-switch for me. I picked it up thinking it would be about the relationship of two brothers, one a priest, the other a politician. Instead, it was mostly about the politician. Normally, I'd be okay with a politics-heavy book but not when I was expecting something different.
Felt like the characters were just reaching "developed" level and the book ended. I do not like finishing a book and thinking "So?" or "What's next?"
Felt like the characters were just reaching "developed" level and the book ended. I do not like finishing a book and thinking "So?" or "What's next?"
December 17, 2011
I haven't read Greeley for some time, but finally picked this one up. I found it interesting for its politics especially.
Tommy Moran is drafted into running for the U.S. Senate after agreeing to run for a more local office under the platform of no negative attack ads and no raising of contributions (people could contribute anonymously but he wouldn't ask). Against the odds of running against a particularly vicious incumbent with a well-funded campaign chest and political machine, he ekes out the win. Along the way, his family's car and house are destroyed by bombs and his family's reputations are attacked as well. He maintains his integrity throughout although his older brother (the Priest) is against his running and serving, and possibly running again. He manages to keep all of his promises throughout the rough campaign, and even afterwards as his opponent continues to mount attacks, claiming the election was fixed, etc. His eldest daughter is slandered, too, so no one in the Moran family is exempt from media and political machine attacks.
His time in the Senate is particularly effective considering he is a junior Senator from his state of Illinois. He forms alliances across the aisle, and works for the betterment of people (immigration reform, school vouchers for the poor, and protection of pension funds, to name but a few of the issues he takes on).
Ah, if the members of Congress on BOTH sides of the aisle (Republican and Democrat alike) could just adopt his methods. Perhaps there would be some decent elections as well as some real reform for the citizens of this country!
Will he ever make peace with his disapproving brother?
Tommy Moran is drafted into running for the U.S. Senate after agreeing to run for a more local office under the platform of no negative attack ads and no raising of contributions (people could contribute anonymously but he wouldn't ask). Against the odds of running against a particularly vicious incumbent with a well-funded campaign chest and political machine, he ekes out the win. Along the way, his family's car and house are destroyed by bombs and his family's reputations are attacked as well. He maintains his integrity throughout although his older brother (the Priest) is against his running and serving, and possibly running again. He manages to keep all of his promises throughout the rough campaign, and even afterwards as his opponent continues to mount attacks, claiming the election was fixed, etc. His eldest daughter is slandered, too, so no one in the Moran family is exempt from media and political machine attacks.
His time in the Senate is particularly effective considering he is a junior Senator from his state of Illinois. He forms alliances across the aisle, and works for the betterment of people (immigration reform, school vouchers for the poor, and protection of pension funds, to name but a few of the issues he takes on).
Ah, if the members of Congress on BOTH sides of the aisle (Republican and Democrat alike) could just adopt his methods. Perhaps there would be some decent elections as well as some real reform for the citizens of this country!
Will he ever make peace with his disapproving brother?
March 1, 2008
From a technical standpoint, I think that Fr. Greely should lose his overuse of "what is the character thinking in his head" for over sixty percent of the book.
My main issue with the book is that Fr. Greely condemns conservatives for their black/white judgements while making his good Democratic Catholic characters operate in the same type of stark clarity between positions. There is a wealth of books and print in magazines on the tortured Democrat pro-lifer. Instead, Greely offers the idea that lock-step with the Democratic party is the only choice.
My main issue with the book is that Fr. Greely condemns conservatives for their black/white judgements while making his good Democratic Catholic characters operate in the same type of stark clarity between positions. There is a wealth of books and print in magazines on the tortured Democrat pro-lifer. Instead, Greely offers the idea that lock-step with the Democratic party is the only choice.
April 23, 2007
An interesting novel that looks at discrepencies among churches and related organizations' stance on political issues, and the nasty ordeals those who try to break out of the mold must undergo. The point of view changes between husband (the senator) and wife, which serves to confirm the picture of marriage created throughout the novel. There is a deep sense of oneness, unity, and complementary personalities. I will probably check out his other books sometime this summer.
July 27, 2011
Great fictional book about religion and politics. Also an interesting story about people that are very fun to read about. By the end of the book I was rooting for Senator Tommy and hoping for a revolution in politics like he had started. Hopefully Obama will be something like this character (minus the assassination attempts).
April 2, 2016
Okay. Greeley writes readable potboilers. Tries to be mildly racy (for a priest) but it's all pretty tame. The topic is timely: civility vs. hardcore political attacks in national politics and elections. The conservative priest/liberal senator brothers' relationship could be more interesting, but disappoints. In the end, Senator Tommy has it a little too easy to be believable.
March 1, 2008
I liked this book more than I thought I would. It was so interesting learning about the inner-workings of the senate. But it is hard to be a Republican and read such an obviosly Democratic weighted book.
March 7, 2010
This book really appealed to the political science major in me. The story was entertaining and the political theories within the story were enthralling to me. Those not as interested in politics would certainly not enjoy it as much as I did.
August 16, 2007
I hate to say it, but I think Father Greeley has lost his touch - or maybe it was just that this book was way too political for me. I didn't care for it at all.
February 15, 2009
Somewhat mirrored the past presidential election in that the politican campaigned for the common good and had to deal with not so truthful opposition to finally win out in the end.
December 31, 2014
Andrew has done a remarkable job researching the workings of Congress to go along with his knowledge on religion. This story was full of suspense with a happy ending.
June 4, 2010
My least favorite of GReeley's books. There was too much of the politics and not enough of the relationships.
May 14, 2012
Very different from the usual Greeley books and a nice change of pace.
December 29, 2012
Great book. Weird ending. I liked the politics of it and thoroughly enjoyed the story line.
March 4, 2013
I do love Greeley! Wish I had a family tree of all those characters in his books - they are so beautifully intertwined in each and every novel!
June 1, 2013
another great book ..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews