Content of the book:
Introduction: What is pastoral theology?
I. Becoming a minister
The discovery of pastoral identity
The call to ministry
The meaning of ordination
Women in the pastoral
II. The pastoral office
Grazing as a fundamental analogy
The offices and gifts of ministry
III. What does the clergy do and why
The pastor of the worship community
The Ministry of Eucharist and Baptism
The Ministry of the Word through Preaching
The old master
Equipping the laity for ministry
IV. Pastoral counselor
Pastoral visitation
The care of souls
The work of the Holy Spirit in comfort, admonition, and discipline
Pastoral Theology Fundamentals of Ministry It is an “essential” resource for all those who contemplate entering the ministry, those who want to understand more clearly the role of pastors and ministers who want to review their role in the light of a systematic reflection on the pastoral office in general.
I enjoyed this book very much, even more than its Theology Agenda. I believe he presented his theory of ordained ministry, including a definition of its functions and duties underlying the method of theological principles, in a succinct and easy-to-understand way. The entire book is a treasure trove of resources for all who wish to increase their understanding of this profession and what it means to be a pastor. However, my comments are limited to the three chapters that stand out the most for me: Women in pastoral care, care for souls and Pastoral care of the dying.
Women in ministry will find Oden’s favorable position over women serving in pastoral capacities quite enlightening, affirmative, and biblically sound. He makes some significant observations that certainly challenge the most intransigent opposition. Most controversial discussions about the legitimacy of women in pastoral ministry arise due to hermeneutical differences. On Pastoral theology, Oden presents her own hermeneutics, as well as the hermeneutics of those who oppose the ordination of women to pastoral ministry. He argues for women on the basis of the larger biblical picture; Look for the general principles inherent in the flow of Scripture. It also takes into account the historical and cultural dynamics within which the inspired writer wrote. Implicit in Oden’s comments is the notion that the issue of women is not simple or merely academic. It is at the very heart of our struggle to be united as brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
Oden brilliantly distinguishes the pastoral care of souls from other pastoral functions by illuminating his primary focus on individual needs and the personal nature of the parishioner’s involvement with the parishioner. His approach is holistic and deeply human.
Although somewhat implicit, I want Oden to emphasize more explicitly the need for pastors to have the proper education and psychological qualifications for the task of caring for souls. Certainly, with the multi-problematic preoccupations of people today, with the mental anomalies that doggedly grip them, does it not seem appropriate for pastors to be intellectually prepared and academically prepared for their work? The pastor is a “physician of the soul” and just as today’s physicians must know much more and practice more expertly to meet people’s health needs, so will the physician of the soul.
Finally, Oden’s treatment and recommendation for pastoral care of the dying is extremely informative. It outlines pastoral responsibilities and offers helpful guidelines for counseling the dying and relating to hospital staff. Any reader who has not thought about the importance of the funeral would do well to study these sections carefully, as some very compelling evidence is presented.
This book is a classic and should be in every pastor’s personal library. Although, as with most books, there are specific areas where we are meant to disagree, overall, the information and ideas presented are worth their weight in gold.
Author: Thomas C. Oden
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco; 1st edition ed (May 1, 1983)
English language
ISBN: 0060663537
