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Gentle Shepherding: Pastoral Ethics and Leadership
Gentle Shepherding provides conceptual resources for understanding moral responsibility in ministry, encompassing the minister as a moral agent, enabler of virtue, and leader in congregational and societal matters. The book offers an introductory exploration of pastoral ethics, especially those without prior ethics coursework, while also engaging experienced pastors. Integrating moral principles within a Christian context, Gentle Shepherding focuses on pastoral ministry and relationships. Each chapter introduces moral principles and ethical reasoning within the context of ministerial practice, offering case studies for reflection and discussion. Chapters topics include the shaping of moral character in community, nonmaleficence in ministry, respecting permission in pastoral care, duties of fidelity, and the theological aspects of pastoral vocation. The book's foundation draws from the author's pastoral and teaching experiences, with the hope of passing on valuable insights gained through interactions with students, colleagues, and congregations.
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2006
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June 7, 2023
This was required reading in my Spirituality and Ethics class, and it didn't take long for me to see why. The author's balanced approach to issues and determination to ground things in theological truth is impressive. I enjoyed his arguments in the book.
February 7, 2009
Consider Alasdair MacIntyre's insight that "our knowledge of virtues is primarily learned empirically rather than deduced neatly from theory, and that there is therefore a necessary 'empirical untidiness' in our experience and knowledge of our own and others' virtue (pg. 9)."
"People in different cultures can have very different perceptions of the 'self' (pg. 11)."
Consider H. Richard Niebuhr's idea that we respond to others with an assumption of how they will respond back. It's evidence of some shared sense of meaning. (pg. 14)
"Individuals entering such situations of ministry unprepared for the kinds of tragic choices involved in helping others either develop a capacity to make discriminating choices in offering help or they find themselves burning out. We find that we simply cannot do all the good that we would like to do. The duty is constant, but imperfect (pg. 22)."
"It is not easy to consistently avoid harm in the practice of ministry. Pastors who are especially sensitive to people's pain might even say it's impossible (pg. 24)."
Consider the four types of benevolence: avoid causing harm, prevent harm, remove harm, and promote the good. (pg. 28)
"The stringency of one's duty to prevent or remove harm would seem to be contingent on both these factors: the relative severity of the harm in question and the degree to which one has the power to act or an ability to make a difference (pg. 30)."
"When the need is great and the ability to help is significant (such as the physician's professional skill), then one might be required to at least be a 'minimally decent Samaritan' in rendering the necessary assistance (pg. 30)."
"When are we obliged to help, and, conversely, when are we serving our own needs by helping? (pg. 31)"
"It is possible to err by attending to a problem beyond one's level of competence so that one causes or exacerbates harm rather than alleviates it (pg. 32)."
Consider that the leading indicator of a potential suicide is the specificity and detail of the plan. (pg. 35)
"A minister may need to counsel with a person to help that person clarify his or her own thinking against a cacophony of family voices, demands, or expectations. Seldom would it be helpful for the minister to assert vigorously his or her own values to the decision-maker; this would likely be counterproductive to the pastoral task of encouraging the person's own moral agency as one who is freely able to give consent (pg. 53)."
"[Bill:] Blackburn indicates, moreover, that in referring parishoners to other professions, he is careful to reassure them about the continuance of his pastoral relationship with them (pg. 65)."
"I would add, moreover, that a part of this respect is to accept degrees of apparent irrationality in others' decisions and actions. In other words, a minister should respect a person's rational choice even when it seems marked by irrationality, and a minister should respect a person's moral agency even when it seems marked by immorality (pg. 68)."
Consider Sissela Bok's definition of lies as "messages that are 'stated' and 'intentionally deceptive' (pg. 78)."
Consider Katie Cannon's thought that truth "seems more discerned than heralded (pg. 89)."
Consider, too, Mary Daly's coined synonym for patriarchy: "phallocracy!" (pg. 89)
Consider Walter Weist and Elwyn Smith's thought that "discretion is essential to protect privacy - but at an extreme it can become secretiveness (pg. 96)."
"During times of deep doubt, we find it difficult to know with clarity whether we are preaching hypocritically because of our own lack of faith, or if we are preaching faithfully because we persevere in trust (pg. 101)."
"All pastors go through periods of theological wrestling at a deep existential level, as well as at a cognitive intellectual one (pg. 103)."
Consider that ministry is more than an occupation and that no Christian ever leaves ministry. (pg, 104)
Consider how gossip trivializes the subject. (pg. 114)
Consider Karen Labacqz's thought that "justice is elusive...I often have the uncomfortable feeling that not all who 'cry justice' mean the same thing by the term (pg. 130)."
Everyone is DUE justice. Everyone must DO justice. (Wouldn't this be a great bumper sticker?) (pg. 133)
Consider William Lazareth's thought that "it is not merely what we do or where we do it, by rather why and how it is done, that pleases God (pg. 140)."
"Whether the preacher encourages it or not (and indeed whether the preacher even desires it or not), the very task of preaching and the person of the preacher are symbolic at a deep level for many listeners (pg. 155)."
"Conflict is one of the costs of change. This is not necessarily bad, but it never feels good (pg. 160)."
"The gospel, [John Snow:] affirms, promises salvation rather than survival (pg. 168)."
"Our experience of ministry, however, is that we find ourselves moving quickly between these different roles and even doing them simultaneously (pg. 173)."
"Listening allows us into the moral world of others. When people know that we listen with respect, they extend that invitation to us (pg. 175)."
"People in different cultures can have very different perceptions of the 'self' (pg. 11)."
Consider H. Richard Niebuhr's idea that we respond to others with an assumption of how they will respond back. It's evidence of some shared sense of meaning. (pg. 14)
"Individuals entering such situations of ministry unprepared for the kinds of tragic choices involved in helping others either develop a capacity to make discriminating choices in offering help or they find themselves burning out. We find that we simply cannot do all the good that we would like to do. The duty is constant, but imperfect (pg. 22)."
"It is not easy to consistently avoid harm in the practice of ministry. Pastors who are especially sensitive to people's pain might even say it's impossible (pg. 24)."
Consider the four types of benevolence: avoid causing harm, prevent harm, remove harm, and promote the good. (pg. 28)
"The stringency of one's duty to prevent or remove harm would seem to be contingent on both these factors: the relative severity of the harm in question and the degree to which one has the power to act or an ability to make a difference (pg. 30)."
"When the need is great and the ability to help is significant (such as the physician's professional skill), then one might be required to at least be a 'minimally decent Samaritan' in rendering the necessary assistance (pg. 30)."
"When are we obliged to help, and, conversely, when are we serving our own needs by helping? (pg. 31)"
"It is possible to err by attending to a problem beyond one's level of competence so that one causes or exacerbates harm rather than alleviates it (pg. 32)."
Consider that the leading indicator of a potential suicide is the specificity and detail of the plan. (pg. 35)
"A minister may need to counsel with a person to help that person clarify his or her own thinking against a cacophony of family voices, demands, or expectations. Seldom would it be helpful for the minister to assert vigorously his or her own values to the decision-maker; this would likely be counterproductive to the pastoral task of encouraging the person's own moral agency as one who is freely able to give consent (pg. 53)."
"[Bill:] Blackburn indicates, moreover, that in referring parishoners to other professions, he is careful to reassure them about the continuance of his pastoral relationship with them (pg. 65)."
"I would add, moreover, that a part of this respect is to accept degrees of apparent irrationality in others' decisions and actions. In other words, a minister should respect a person's rational choice even when it seems marked by irrationality, and a minister should respect a person's moral agency even when it seems marked by immorality (pg. 68)."
Consider Sissela Bok's definition of lies as "messages that are 'stated' and 'intentionally deceptive' (pg. 78)."
Consider Katie Cannon's thought that truth "seems more discerned than heralded (pg. 89)."
Consider, too, Mary Daly's coined synonym for patriarchy: "phallocracy!" (pg. 89)
Consider Walter Weist and Elwyn Smith's thought that "discretion is essential to protect privacy - but at an extreme it can become secretiveness (pg. 96)."
"During times of deep doubt, we find it difficult to know with clarity whether we are preaching hypocritically because of our own lack of faith, or if we are preaching faithfully because we persevere in trust (pg. 101)."
"All pastors go through periods of theological wrestling at a deep existential level, as well as at a cognitive intellectual one (pg. 103)."
Consider that ministry is more than an occupation and that no Christian ever leaves ministry. (pg, 104)
Consider how gossip trivializes the subject. (pg. 114)
Consider Karen Labacqz's thought that "justice is elusive...I often have the uncomfortable feeling that not all who 'cry justice' mean the same thing by the term (pg. 130)."
Everyone is DUE justice. Everyone must DO justice. (Wouldn't this be a great bumper sticker?) (pg. 133)
Consider William Lazareth's thought that "it is not merely what we do or where we do it, by rather why and how it is done, that pleases God (pg. 140)."
"Whether the preacher encourages it or not (and indeed whether the preacher even desires it or not), the very task of preaching and the person of the preacher are symbolic at a deep level for many listeners (pg. 155)."
"Conflict is one of the costs of change. This is not necessarily bad, but it never feels good (pg. 160)."
"The gospel, [John Snow:] affirms, promises salvation rather than survival (pg. 168)."
"Our experience of ministry, however, is that we find ourselves moving quickly between these different roles and even doing them simultaneously (pg. 173)."
"Listening allows us into the moral world of others. When people know that we listen with respect, they extend that invitation to us (pg. 175)."
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews