Reconstructing Pastoral Theology. A Christological Foundation
deur Andrew Purves
WJK. 09/2004
ISBN-10: 0664227333
ISBN-13: 9780664227333
$29.95
Die beste boek wat ek die laaste tien jaar oor die bediening gelees het. Purves glo dat `n groot deel van predikante se moegheid en uitbranding te doen het met die feit dat hulle nie verstaan (of glo) dat die Lewende Christus self in ons gemeentes werk nie. Dit is eers as ons die bediening aan Christus teruggee dat ons kan leer om ons deel in navolging van Christus te doen. Die eerste helfte van die boek gaan daarom oor die dienswerk wat Christus nou besig is om onder ons te doen. In die tweede helfte kom hy by ons bediening. Ons bediening, sê Purves, is `n bediening van teenwoordigheid, van die Woord, van die genade en van die heerskappy van God.
Coenie Burger
Arguing that pastoral theology and care have long ignored Scripture and Christian doctrine and become secularized in both method and goal, Andrew Purves presents a Christological basis for ministry and pastoral theology. Purves reconstructs the discipline of pastoral theology by identifying two primary theological categories for pastoral work: Christology, in which Jesus is both the Word and act of God addressing us and the word and act of humankind addressing God and Calvin’s doctrine of our union with Christ, which informs us that by the work of the Holy Spirit we are joined to Christ’s mission from God to share in his ministry. In the second half of the book, Purves examines pastoral care in terms of our union with Christ and his ministry. He discusses the nature and authority of preaching, forgiveness of sins as the ministry of grace, the nature of God’s presence as comfort, and the relationship between hope and social action.