Reconstructing Pastoral Theology

Author: Andrew Purves
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 9780664227333
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Book Description
In Pastoral Care in the Classical Tradition, Andrew Purves argued that pastoral care and theology has long ignored Scripture and Christian doctrine, and pastoral practice has become secularized in both method and goal, the fiefdom of psychology and the social sciences. He builds further on this idea here, presenting a christological basis for ministry and pastoral theology.

Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition

Author: Andrew Purves
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 9780664222413
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 148

Book Description
Purves proposes a thoughtful reading of early classical texts to provide insight into contemporary pastoral work.

Reconstructing Practical Theology

Author: John Reader
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351906194
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 165

Book Description
This book argues that the discipline of practical theology needs to be re-shaped in the light of the impact of various influences created through the encounter with globalization. Essential to this is an engagement with the insights of other disciplines, e.g. sociology, politics, economics and philosophy. The content and authority of the Christian tradition is being challenged by the blurred encounters with more fluid lifestyles, alternative spiritualities and indeed other faiths as mediated through information technology and the breakdown of attachments to all forms of institutional life. Traditional ways of 'belonging' and relating to places and structures are being eroded leaving the established patterns of ministry, worship, church organisation the province of an ageing population, while those who are now more inclined to search for 'communities of interest' avoid being drawn into the practices and structures of formal religion. What is the future for practical theology in this rapidly changing context? By examining the familiar concerns of the subject John Reader shows how it is in danger of operating with 'zombie categories' - still alive but only just - and presents the possibilities for a reflexive spirituality grounded in the Christian tradition as a way into the future.

Reconstructing Practical Theology

Author: John Reader
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 9780754666608
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 158

Book Description
This book argues that the discipline of practical theology needs to be re-shaped in the light of the impact of various influences created through the encounter with globalization. Essential to this is an engagement with the insights of other disciplines, e.g. sociology, politics, economics and philosophy. The content and authority of the Christian tradition is being challenged by the blurred encounters with more fluid lifestyles, alternative spiritualities and indeed other faiths as mediated through information technology and the breakdown of attachments to all forms of institutional life. Traditional ways of belonging and relating to places and structures are being eroded leaving the established patterns of ministry, worship, church organisation the province of an ageing population, while those who are now more inclined to search for communities of interest avoid being drawn into the practices and structures of formal religion. What is the future for practical theology in this rapidly changing context? By examining the familiar concerns of the subject John Reader shows how it is in danger of operating with zombie categories - still alive but only just - and presents the possibilities for a reflexive spirituality grounded in the Christian tradition as a way into the future.

The Crucifixion of Ministry

Author: Andrew Purves
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 145876950X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
As a pastor, do you ever get the feeling that no matter what you try, nothing much seems to change? That is because the ministries themselves are not redemptive--they are not up to you. Only Jesus' ministry is redemptive. Jesus has to ''show up.'' Theologian Andrew Purves explores at the deepest level the true and essential nature of Christian ministry. He says that the attempt to be an effective minister is a major problem. Ministers are ''in the way.'' He radically claims that ministries need to be crucified. They need to be killed off so that Christ can make them live. Rooting church service in Christ's own continuing ministry, Purves provides a vision for students and practicing clergy to reclaim the vital connection between Christ and participation in his ministry today, even if it means letting Christ put to death the ministries to which pastors cling so closely. A radical appraisal for a critical malady affecting the life of the Christian church written in plain, down-to-earth language.

Theological Foundations for Ministry

Author: Ray S. Anderson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 056760084X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 789

Book Description
This is a collection of essential passages on the ministry of the church. By selecting significant sources which share a common assumption concerning the nature of theology and its methodology, the editor presents a single consistent theology of ministry. The book is carefully organised to allow a thorough exploration of the different aspects of ministry. Contributors include Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hans Küng, Helmut Thielicke and Thomas F. Torrance.

Exploring Christology and Atonement

Author: Andrew Purves
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 083084077X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Book Description
The Scottish theologians John McLeod Campbell, Hugh Ross Mackintosh and Thomas F. Torrance were theologians of reconciliation, who emphasized the reality of God's redemptive grace in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In this magisterial treatment, Andrew Purves unfolds the riches of their theology for pastoral ministry today.

Faith

Author: Gerrit Immink
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 9780802827937
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 316

Book Description
Addressing faith as it is lived, rather than as a system of doctrine, F. Gerrit Immink emphasizes that having faith means more than assenting to certain opinions about God; it involves a dynamic relationship, or dialogue, with God. As he investigates the practice of faith, Immink holds together the poles of divine activity and human experience, external Word and indwelling Spirit. At its heart, this book is about God. How can faithful people speak about God and understand God's presence? Well versed in both philosophical analysis and the theological tradition, the author argues for an understanding of God as a speaking, acting person, genuinely experienced in faith. In so doing, he issues a compelling plea to reevaluate the theoretical foundations of practical theology. Applying his work particularly to the theories of preaching and pastoral care, Immink brings to bear insights garnered from years as an academic theologian, as the dean of a theological seminary, and as a minister. Scholars, ministers, and seminary students alike will benefit from his careful reflections on the Christian life of faith.

Reconstructing Catholicism

Author: Robert Ludwig
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1579103383
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 253

Book Description
A leading pastoral theologian re-imagines Catholicism for a new millenium.

The Practice of Pastoral Care

Author: Carrie Doehring
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 9780664226848
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description
Drawing on psychological, theological, and cultural studies on suffering, Carrie Doehring encourages counselors to view their ministry through trifocal lenses and include approaches that are premodern (apprehending God through religious rituals), modern (consulting rational and empirical sources), and postmodern (acknowledging the contextual nature of knowledge). Utilizing strategies from all three perspectives, Doehring describes the basic ingredients of a caregiving relationship, shows how to use the caregiver's life experience as a source of authority, and demonstrates how to develop the skill of listening and establish the actual relationship. She then explains the steps of psychological assessment, systemic assessment, and theological reflection, and finally she delineates the basic steps for plans of care: attending to the careseeker's safety, building trust, mourning losses, and reconnecting with the ordinariness of life.