This peer-reviewed journal article is revised from an academic paper delivered by the author to the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The paper seeks to identify problems in pastoral visitation and pastoral care that have resulted from an overuse or over-reliance on psycho-therapeutic techniques rather than sacramental or theological resources most associated with clergy. The paper concludes that assuming "false faces" in pastoral care will not only diminish the intended spiritual care of the patient, but effectively and negatively impact the clergyman's place "at the table" with healthcare professionals.
Table of Contents
I. A MODERN PARABLE OF PASTORAL VISITATION OF THE SICK
II. MODERN PROBLEMS IN PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK AND DYING
1. Liberalizing tendencies.
2. Ordinary but dangerous assumed identities
a. Therapist
b. Medical expert
c. Clown
d. Moral lecturer
e. Shaman
III. BIBLICALLY FAITHFUL METHODOLOGIES, IDENTITIES, AND TASKS IN THE VISITATION OF THE SICK
1. Biblically faithful methodologies for shaping pastoral identity and tasks in the visitation of the sick and dying
a. English Puritan casuistry
b. Liturgical and sacramental ministry
2. Biblically faithful metaphors for shaping pastoral identity and tasks in the visitation of the sick and dying
a. Ambassador
b. Spiritual Director (Curator of Souls)
c. Prophet
d. Priest
e. Evangelist
III. THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN THE CARE OF THE SICK AND DYING
Objectives and Themes
The work examines the role of the minister during hospital visitations, addressing a perceived crisis where traditional, biblically grounded pastoral care is increasingly supplanted by secular, psychological-therapeutic models. The central research question explores how a minister can maintain a biblically faithful identity and methodology while visiting the sick and dying, rather than assuming ineffective secular roles.
- Critical analysis of liberalizing trends in pastoral care and their reliance on modern psychology.
- Identification of common but problematic false identities assumed by ministers, such as "therapist," "medical expert," and "clown."
- Recovery of historical, biblically faithful methodologies, specifically English Puritan casuistry and sacramental approaches.
- Re-orientation of pastoral identity through scriptural metaphors like "Ambassador," "Spiritual Director," and "Prophet."
Excerpt from the Book
II. MODERN PROBLEMS IN PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK AND DYING
Whether the minister of the gospel is a solo pastor with an older congregation or the senior pastor of a mega church, or even a professor of a college or seminary who may also serve on the staff of a suburban congregation, all ministers usually wind their way into hospital parking lots, climb stairs, and maneuver endless corridors to enter the rooms of people in hospital beds. Some the minister will know quite well. Others will be friends or relatives of the congregation, and the minister will have never met them.
Few clergy would dispute the proposition that hospital visitation is a necessary part of the minister's work. The biblical references on the matter are so many and so clear that pastoral visitation of the sick and dying is an expected work of the minister of the gospel in carrying out a biblically faithful pastorate.
However, a real question might be: "What is the role of the minister of the gospel on hospital visitations?" Or, in keeping with the theme of a recent Annual Meeting of our society, "What are Evangelicalism's 'boundaries' in the work of pastoral care of the sick and dying?" We might even borrow the sarcastic patient's question as an authentic and pressing question to every minister of the gospel prying open a hospital room door: "So, what are you doing here?"
Summary of Chapters
I. A MODERN PARABLE OF PASTORAL VISITATION OF THE SICK: Introduces the topic through a personal anecdote illustrating the confusion surrounding the role of a chaplain, setting the stage for a theological investigation.
II. MODERN PROBLEMS IN PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK AND DYING: Discusses the transition toward secular, psychological models in pastoral care and identifies several false, unbiblical roles that ministers often mistakenly assume.
III. BIBLICALLY FAITHFUL METHODOLOGIES, IDENTITIES, AND TASKS IN THE VISITATION OF THE SICK: Proposes a return to historical, biblically grounded practices like Puritan casuistry and sacramental ministry, alongside scriptural identity markers for the pastor.
III. THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN THE CARE OF THE SICK AND DYING: Concludes by emphasizing that the minister's role is to provide a distinctively redemptive and gospel-centered presence, rather than relying on secular therapeutic techniques.
Keywords
Pastoral Care, Hospital Visitation, Evangelical Theology, Pastoral Identity, Biblical Methodology, Cure of Souls, Puritan Casuistry, Spiritual Direction, Psychological Movement, Ministry, Chaplaincy, Sacrament, Gospel, Scripture, Pastoral Theology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on the role and identity of ministers of the gospel during hospital visitations, critiquing the current trend of adopting secular psychological-therapeutic models.
What are the core themes explored in the text?
The text explores the decline of traditional pastoral approaches, the danger of false pastoral identities, and the necessity of re-orienting ministerial practices toward biblical faithfulness.
What is the central research question?
The central question is how ministers can effectively and faithfully minister to the sick and dying while rejecting modern, secular influences in favor of historical, biblical approaches.
What scientific or theological method is employed?
The author employs a historical-theological critique, utilizing Scripture, the works of Puritan theologians, and traditional pastoral theology to evaluate and provide an alternative to modern clinical models.
What subjects are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines "liberalizing tendencies" in care, identifies five false identities (therapist, medical expert, clown, moral lecturer, shaman), and proposes two faithful methodologies: English Puritan casuistry and liturgical/sacramental ministry.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include Pastoral Care, Hospital Visitation, Evangelical Theology, Cure of Souls, and Biblical Methodology.
What does the author identify as the "Therapist" identity risk?
The author argues that when a pastor assumes the role of a therapist, they compete with medical professionals and reduce their unique spiritual calling to mere psychological listening, which fails to offer the redemptive words of Scripture.
How does the author define the "Shaman" identity?
The Shaman is described as a minister who relies on ritual, incantations, or religious objects to solve a crisis without properly engaging the patient's soul with the Word of God or biblical grace.
What is the significance of the "Ambassador" metaphor?
The author suggests the "Ambassador" identity helps ministers view themselves as a spokesperson from heaven bringing a "Word from Another World," which is spiritually redemptive and unique to the pastor’s role.
- Quote paper
- Michael Milton (Author), 2003, "So, What are You Doing Here?" The Role of the Minister of the Gospel in Hospital Visitation or a Theological Cure for the Crisis in Evangelical Pastoral Care, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/387358
