Responding Pastorally to Critical Issues in Contemporary Ministry (DP9042W)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

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.

Unit code: DP9042W

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Pastoral Theology and Ministry Studies

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Whitley College

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

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;
5.

Analyse ways in which the church community might develop an environment of nurture and offers pastoral care; and
6.

Integrate theology and practice in pastoral ministry.

Pedagogy

Lectures, seminars and tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

  • 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

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

4000 word essay

 4000 50.0
Report

2000 reading report

 2000 25.0
Case Study 2000 25.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 9 Oct, 2020

Unit record last updated: 2021-06-07 08:43:52 +1000