Responding Pastorally to Critical Issues in Contemporary Ministry

Semester 2

Day Class

This unit identifies various issues in contemporary life and considers appropriate pastoral responses. Themes to be examined include anxiety, aging, suicide, mental health, violence, abuse and the changing shape of the family. In developing effective pastoral responses, various approaches in the theory and practice of pastoral care, including biblical and theological insights, will be examined and tested. The significance of the Christian community as places of nurture and the role that community members play as primary carers will also be addressed. The unit will benefit people in both informal and formal ministry settings.

Code

Undergraduate: DP3042W

Level

Undergraduate

Discipline

Pastoral Theology and Ministry (DP)

Field

Theology: Mission and Ministry (D)

Location

Whitley College view location >

Faculty

Luke Bowen view profile >

Class Time

Three hours per week

Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:
1. Evaluate appropriate responses to key themes;
2. Articulate and apply biblical and theological insights that inform understanding of pastoral care practice;
3. Analyse and display appropriate pastoral responses in the context of particular contemporary issues;
4. Identify the elements of safe, ethical pastoral care, and illustrate this from practice; and
5. Analyse ways in which the church community might develop an environment of nurture and offers pastoral care.
Assessment
- Report – 1200 reading report (25%)
- Case Study – 1200 word case study (25%)
- Essay – 2500 word essay (50%)
Recommended reading
- Brister, C W Pastoral care in the church (3rd edn) San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1992
- Cooper-White, P. Shared Wisdom: use of the self in pastoral care and counseling. Minneapolis;Fortress, 2004
- Corey, Gerald, Marianne S Corey and Patrick Callanan. Issues and ethics in the helping professions. California: Brookes-Cole, (7th edn) 2007
- Franklin, C & Fong, R. The Church leaders counseling resource book : a guide to mental health and social problems. New York: Oxford Uni Press, 2011 ebook
- Geldard,D & Geldard, K, Basic Personal Counselling. Frenches Forrest: Prentice Hall, ed 4 or 5
- Killen, J.L. Pastoral care in the small membership church. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.
- Koenig, H.J. Faith and Mental Health : religious resources for healing. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2005
- Lartey, E. Pastoral Theology in an intercultural World. Peterborough: Epworth, 2006
- Malony, H.Newton and David W Augsburger. Christian counseling: An introduction. Nashville: Abingdon, 2007
- Olson, Richard P. Ask anything: A pastoral theology of inquiry. London: Haworth Pastoral Press, 2006
- Pattison, S. A critique of pastoral care. (3rd ed) London: SCM, 2000.
- Patton, J. Pastoral Care: An essential guide. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005
- Roberts, S.B., Professional Spiritual and Pastoral Care : A practical Clergy and Chaplains Handbook. Woodstock, Vermont : Skylight Paths, 2012
- Rose, J, Psychology for pastoral contexts. London: SCM, 2013
- Scioli, Anthony and Henry B Biller. Hope in the age of anxiety. New York: Oxford Uni Press, 2009
- Whitehead, E. & Whitehead, J. Transforming our painful emotions: Spiritual resources in anger, shame, grief, fear and loneliness. Maryknoll: Orbis, 2010
Set texts recommended for purchase: Nil

Responding Pastorally to Critical Issues in Contemporary Ministry

Learning outcomes

Assessment

Recommended reading

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