Hamman asserts that one becomes a pastor by nurturing and growing six core developing a deep sense of inner security; nurturing your imagination; embracing your dark side; becoming aware of the emotions you experience; seeing others as they really are; and engaging life and ministry with a sense of playfulness.
I just love this book. A portrait of a psychologically balanced pastoral leader. There's a lot of inner work we all need to do but especially when one is in a position of leadership and has influence over others. It is important to first do no harm, and this book brings up a lot of good reflection points.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. The psychology here is consistent with pastoral theology and very much on point.
A good book with lots of practical advice. I think this book would work better in a classroom or discussion setting than as a purely "self-help" book. There is a lot to digest here.
Dr. Hamman suggests over and over again that you get yourself a mentor. A quality mentor could certainly help facilitate the level of introspection, self-examination, and discussion called for by this book.
>>>>> The review above is what I wrote in 2009 for Amazon. At the time this review accurately reflected my feelings after first reading the book. Now that several years have passed I've upped my rating from 4 to 5 stars. The reason for doing so is the strong and lasting impact this book has had on my life. It takes a while to soak in, but over the years this book has permeated my soul in a way that is undeniable. Hopefully they will make a Kindle edition available. My copy is in the USA and I would like to read it again!