Theology of Pastoral Care (DP8500P)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

What does the church mean when it speaks of pastoral care? What does it look like in practice, and how does it connect with a living Christian Faith? This unit offers a robust theological foundation for the practice of pastoral care. Drawing on the core theological resources of the Christian tradition it disrupts common understandings of pastoral care both within and beyond the church, clearing the ground for a fresh approach to a theologically informed pastoral ministry. Various contemporary issues and diverse life experiences provide a stimulating context for this pursuit.

Unit code: DP8500P

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Pastoral Theology and Ministry Studies

Proposing College: Pilgrim Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Demonstrate an understanding of the theological foundations of pastoral care.
2.

Articulate and critique the integrative connections between theology and pastoral practice
3.

Integrate theology and skills in their own pastoral practice
4.

Engage with challenging questions raised in contemporary pastoral ministry

Pedagogy

I take the view that the process of learning and formation takes place relationally, in the mutual interaction of those who make up the learning community as we engage together in particular issues, themes and questions. The best way to do that will be to take seriously these things: scholarly tradition and sources, what you already know through experience and learning, the context in which you are located, the issues and questions which you bring, and the dynamics of our learning community.

Indicative Bibliography

No textbook is required for this unit.

  1. Burns, S. Pastoral Theology for Public Ministry. New York: Church Publishing, 2015
  2. Van Deusen Hunsinger. D. Pray Without Ceasing: Revitalizing Pastoral Care. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.
  3. Doehring, C. The Practice of Pastoral Care: A Postmodern Approach. Rev. ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press 2015.
  4. Dykstra, R. Images of Pastoral Care. St Louis, US: Chalice Press 2005
  5. Lartey, E. Pastoral Theology in an Intercultural World. Rev. ed. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2013.
  6. Pembroke, N. Renewing Pastoral Practice: Trinitarian Perspectives on Pastoral Care and Counselling. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006
  7. Ramsey, N., ed. Pastoral Care and Counseling: Redefining the Paradigms. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2005.
  8. Swinton, J. Raging with Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the problem of Evil. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans 2007.
  9. Thornton, S. Broken Yet beloved: A Pastoral Theology of the Cross. St Louis: Chalice Press 2005
  10. Woodward, J. and S. Pattison. The Blackwell Reader in Pastoral and Practical Theology. Oxford: Blackwell, 2000.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Journal - Reflective journal

Written Reflective Journal 2000 words

Each week, the student will keep a journal which addresses the following two questions: What have I learned in relation to ‘my theology of pastoral care’? How will this impact on my pastoral practice?

 2000 30.0
Essay - Integrative essay

A paper on the integration of theology and pastoral ministry in a particular context. In this assessment, you are invited to unpack, analyse and critique the elements of theology and practice in pastoral ministry around a particular context or situation or theme, indicating how you might integrate your own theology with your pastoral practice. The main requirement will be that it is a project in which you can engage seriously with issues of pastoral care and theology, and one about which there is a good measure of passion and urgency.

 4000 70.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 25 Jun, 2026

Unit record last updated: 2026-06-25 11:45:06 +1000