Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls: Learning the Art of Pastoral Ministry from the Church Fathers

by Coleman M. Ford, Shawn J. Wilhite, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. (foreword)

Recovering the Wisdom of Early Christian Figures to Effectively Shepherd Modern Churches

In addition to the regular demands of preaching and shepherding, modern pastors feel undue pressure to entertain congregants and increase attendance numbers. Often, churches resort to the latest business models to keep pace. But true, life-giving guidance lies in Scripture and the wisdom of those having come before us.
 
Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls helps pastors to embrace a classic, biblical vision of ministry through the study of selected pastoral virtues and early church figures. Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory the Great both referred to ministry as “the care of souls.” Calling for a “return to the sources,” professors Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite ponder what a scriptural vision of ministry is, how patristic voices help inform this vision, and how pastors today can cultivate this pastoral vision in their churches. Each chapter examines an important pastoral topic—such as humility, the sacraments, and contemplative theology—and brings it to life through a constructive model and profiles of early church fathers. Encouraged by the patristic wisdom of Irenaeus, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, and more, readers learn a simple and slower model for pastoring that they can emulate as they care for their communities. A slower pace of life may, in fact, help pastors cultivate the soil of souls more richly and, as a result, return to ministry as “the care of souls.”

 Enriches the spiritual and ministerial practices of modern pastors through ancient church wisdom, pastoral reflections, and examples from Scripture Theological and  Features detailed profiles of church fathers, including Ambrose of Milan, Augustine, Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, and others Written for Students and  Ideal for college-level courses, as well as new or seasoned ministers

Genres: Theology, Church History, Leadership, Counselling, Christian Living, Discipleship

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2024

Reviews

[Ched Spellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and accessible. Wisdom from the early church for contemporary ministry.

[Connor Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am appreciative of the retrieval movement, but I would probably not recommend this book.

As a gateway into the Church Fathers for laypeople, it is too uncritical and undiscriminating (e.g. positive construal of Ambrose’ sacramentalism, positive quotations from Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, etc.) It’s too loose.

As a technical piece for pastors, it is too broad and thin. Other than discussing the pastor’s spiritual disciplines with categories like ascent and contemplation, it adds little to any basic manual on the pastoral task.

[Scott Bielinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today's pastoral theology can be a lot more biblical, rich, and helpful when it doesn't ignore the past.

Ford and Wilhite gift pastors and church leaders an admirably accessible introduction to a pastoral theology from the church fathers. The happy marriage of spirituality and theology is celebrated throughout the book, especially in a particularly wonderful chapter on Gregory of Nyssa's theology of the Christian life: "Viewing our spiritual journeys as the ascent of the soul gives us a way to approach our daily lives in the study, the counseling session, and the pulpit. By the power of the Spirit, we are drawn up further into the life of God as we meditate on God's Word" (49). Theology is not a sterile and merely rational activity, but a spiritual one, for the virtue, wisdom, and happiness of the Christian. And, ultimately, it brings us deeper into the life of God. This is the mystery and life pastors are to steward and facilitate for their congregations. It's a far more lofty, exciting, and invigorating vision of the pastorate.

The book hovers right above the day to day life of a pastor. There is very little in the way of how this could shape a ministry (only about 3/4 of a page). The book would be slightly more helpful to offer a larger concluding chapter that offers a practical synthesis - one that helps pastors to see how this takes shape Monday-Friday.

[Graham Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to the church fathers. I wish I had this book pre-seminary, jumping straight into all the primary sources was a lot. Plus I was taking one of the hardest professors in History and Doctrine.

Crossway definitely has their target audience, and I'm not sure I completely align with who they're trying to reach, but I still really enjoyed this book.

Those in and aspiring to pastoral ministry would benefit from reading this.

[Pat Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another patristics banger….

I love the patristics. I also love pastoral ministry. This is the first book (written by likeminded Baptist brothers) that marries my two loves in a page turner volume.

People who know me know that the patristics are a true fascination of my heart. This book was phenomenal. Baptists have historically not studied the patristics but in light of recent retrieval movements it has become more of a focus.

I would encourage people to reap from the fruit of the early Church Fathers. This book speaks for itself. Whether its meditations on the power of solitude and contemplation, notes on the complexity of the intricacies of the Nicene trinitarian theology, or the beauties of prospological and partitive exegesis this book challenges the ministers heart.

6/5…….

[Glen Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasury of truths mined from the ancient fathers. What rises to the surface as I put this book down is an encouragement for pastors to continually develop a theological mind, and to not forsake lifting of his soul up to heaven.

[Sean Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book for pastors and people thinking of the pastoral role. In a time where practicality and academic endeavor can tip the scales of the vision of the church. We need this wisdom from past church fathers to guide us in taking care of the soul. It gives a good middle ground for where we need to grow and be grounded in Scripture. Overall, it is about wisdom for the care of souls, not just right answers for people. It takes contemplation, boldness, character to be one who gives care for the people of God. Thankful for this book and its contents to help the church move forward in practicing the art of arts, the care of souls.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich pastoral theology from the early church fathers. Good model of Protestant theological retrieval for the church.

[Jack Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a 7/10, but I felt like rounding up. Wished there was more analysis of the original sources.

[Alex McEwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book targets a specific audience that I am not a part of, however, it remains a fine read. It feels like a Baptist’s contribution to the conversation initiated by Michael Allen and Scott Swain in "Reformed Catholicity."

The book explores several notable early church fathers, delving into their foundational thoughts, and offering insights for modern pastors on how to apply these ancient teachings to contemporary ministry. The premise is straightforward; recovering ancient faith is currently in vogue within theological circles. What truly distinguishes this work is its strong emphasis on the catholicity of the church, underscoring that those who confess the faith and are born of one Spirit are united in one body and accord. Ford and White's focus on the unity of the church is commendable.

Each chapter examines an early church father in relation to a specific theme, providing a brief overview of the father’s life and ministry, followed by an analysis of their teachings on topics ranging from faith and virtue to sacraments and community. The fathers chosen are well known figures in church history, and the examinations are thoughtful and beneficial. However, the book occasionally falls short by not addressing the broader context of the fathers’ teachings. Instead focusing on just one theme that the father taught on, and glossing over the ways many of them taught on the same subjects. Because of this the work feels a little 2 dimensional.

The authors are Baptists who work in baptistic institutions. It is therefore unsurprising that they present the fathers in a way that looks eerily baptistic. While I understand the limitations of providing only a high level overview in a survey like this, I was surprised by the lack of critical engagement with the fathers. Additionally, I found it disappointing that a work focused on the catholicity of the church would be so narrowly tailored to a Baptist audience. Nevertheless, Baptists certainly deserve to engage in theological retrieval, and it’s encouraging that such work exists.

Unfortunately, Crossway has done the book a disservice with its production quality. The cover is flimsy, the spine is weak, and the paper feels pulpy. It’s surprising that Crossway would produce a work like this with such poor materials.

In conclusion, "Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls" is a solid introductory read that will resonate with the right audience. However, Crossway’s production choices may limit its success.

[Elliot H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time giving this book a rating. I think it deserves more than 3 stars, but maybe not 4. I think it delivers on its promise of providing pastoral wisdom from the Church Fathers, but I felt like it was really shallow. I left every chapter wishing that the authors had included more direct quotes from the patristics themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, I think this book is full of great and time-honored pastoral practices. I think I may have wanted more from this book than it was intended to give. I think this book was written to whet the appetite of pastors with no experience or knowledge of the Church Fathers, and that it certainly does. Therefore, I really appreciated the inclusion of a table of suggested readings at the end of the book. This book is a good introduction to the Church Fathers and in a sense serves as a brochure describing the benefits and wisdom of reading the early Church Fathers.

[Flynn Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I most appreciate this book for its emphasis upon the fact that the historic conception of the pastorate was one that prioritized gospel simplicity, which saw no need to insist upon itself beyond ministering the grace of Christ to others. Ford and Wilhite certainly accomplished their intended goal of exposing readers to the thoughtfulness of the fathers as those who primarily sought to tend to souls on their way to eternal glory.

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Many pastors fear slowing down. But people want to receive help from someone who has met with God. People do not need a busier minister or another activity to attend; they need a pastor who knows their name, is close with God, and can administer the medicine of Christ to them." - Coleman Ford & Shawn Wilhite

Meh. I didn't really feel like this book accomplished what the subtitle says it would. I felt like it was basically: "Here's a historical example of this guy who thought/did this" with a pretty generic application to today. I think a better title would be "Ancient Wisdom: Learning from the Church Fathers" as I feel like the care of souls and the pastoral ministry aspects were essentially non-existent or quite broad (which is mainly what I was hoping to get from the book). It didn't really energize me to think through or reexamine pastoral ministry from the church fathers. Not a bad book, just boring in my opinion. Nothing grabbed my attention or interest to say "That's a great point." Obviously some subjectivity here, but I was definitely expecting more. Time to just go read some patristics! 2.5/5

[Jed Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

My two main struggles with this book were these:
1. It wasn’t very readable. The layout and very formulaic nature of the book made it hard to get beyond an academic overview of the material, leading to a lack of the emotional connection I believe to be necessary when we talk about the care of souls.
2. It was very much aimed at the preacher/pastor of smaller churches, and that is simply not the situation I find myself in. Obviously a good amount of the material still applied, but not as much as I would have liked.

[Heath · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried to like this book, but it was just not compelling. The profiles of ancient theologian-pastors were too shallow and there was no real application or sense of what you’re supposed to do with this book. I made it through page 97, so I feel like I gave it a fair try.

Andrew Purves, “Pastoral Care in the Classical Tradition” is a far better resource and achieves what this book did not.

[Evan Cruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a 200 page summary of all things I like - so it was always going to be rated high, but this was thoroughly enjoyable and helpful.

[Arnold Keifer Navey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is probably going to be my “Book of the Year”. I can’t believe how good this book is. I want to give a copy to every single pastor I know.

[Jeremy Fritz · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot to like here, but it’s too popular level (engagement with primary sources, but not overly detailed) for the academically inclined reader and assumes a lot for the casual reader.

Also felt like it was intended for baptists/ big evangelicalism. As a PCA guy it just felt like they were targeting things that my tradition has typically valued.

[Zach Wiland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I (Zach) was greatly disappointed by this book.

[Steven Azzara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book is trash. Zach Wiland (he’s on my friend list) recommended this garbage. I’ll never trust his opinion again.

[Jason Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Each chapter is on something important to ministry. I have 20 years experience and have learned much. This book is a great reminder to those who have walked with God a while but also sets a good road map to the newly saved.

Having read much of the church fathers they quote, they accurately represent these men and encapsulated their discipleship concisely.

They do a good job of addressing issues, showing God’s take through the Word, and how men have been faithful to follow the Lord.

I only wish I could have more quotes. :) the end of the book has a good reading list that I’d recommend a person goes through. My suggestion is Athanasius’s On the Incarnation, Augustine Confessions, and Gregory the Great’s On Pastoral Rule. At Basil on the Holy Spirit is another favorite.

[Benjamin Clow · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's elegantly written with actually good prose and some truly insightful obvervations however I haven't walked away with any sort of knowledge about the Patristics, who often felt in the background. It felt to me like the authors were writing a modern pastor's guide book and were only cherry picking the odd quote from an early church father rather than digging deep with them. Dare I say it, I felt like they had cleaned the church father's up a bit, made them sound like modern evangelicals, making points from their lives that you could have easily had got from elsewhere. The Patristics were used as shallow illustrations for their own points, rather than the other way round. The only exception to this was the chapter on Gregory of Nazianzus and his trinitarian. That chapter was actually grappling with Gregory's views in depth, not just cherry picking, and it was confusing and intellectually stimulating, it felt like it was from a different book. The problem was his description of partitive reading of the two natures of Christ felt like it conflicted with the simplicity of God and it had nothing to really do with pastoral practical ministry.

[Nathaniel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is one thing to be literate and competent in the primary sources of the church fathers. It is another thing to communicate the best of what these sources offer to a wide audience in an accessible and clear way. Coleman Ford and Shawn Wilhite have done just that after years of reading, reflecting, and being changed by their study of the church fathers. The result is Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls, which shares a vision of pastoral theology characterized by classical theology, virtue, the integration of spirituality and theology, local community, and the care of souls. Each chapter draws from the work and writing of patristic pastor-theologians and applies it to contemporary pastoral ministry. It retrieves a vision of the pastor as a spiritual director who cares for the souls of his flock through the ministry of the Word. I can think of few retrieval projects more needed than this one.

I more than enjoyed this book, I loved it and will encourage every pastor I can to read it, reflect on it, and apply its wisdom to their ministries.

[Brenden Wentworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The church fathers are often either caricatured, veiled in mystery, or academized for the stimulation of PhD’s. But they have a treasure trove of spiritual depth and knowledge that’s helpful for every Christian, especially pastors.

The church fathers were pastor-theologians that primarily were focused on shepherding the church.
The idea of seeking after writing famous books, conference speaking, and virtue signal tweets of some modern pastoral temptations was largely unthinkable to them. They cared for their flock intimately and theologically, in the infancy of Christendom no less

Wilhite (a former pastor of mine) & Coleman help remind pastors and elders through the pastoral theology and through the church fathers what true pastoring is:
Shepherding through preaching God’s Word and the care of souls.

As Gregory the Great said, “the care of souls is the art of arts”.
And though growth in this art takes time, devotion, and contemplation, the Chief Shepherd is faithful to the imperfect shepherds who shepherd His imperfect people

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors have selected ten of the church fathers to represent aspects of pastoral character or pastoral labor. They divide these considerations into three sections: The Virtues and Spiritual Life of a Pastor, The Theological Vision of a Pastor, The Ministry of a Pastor. In each chapter, they begin with a discussion of the topic, then move to some biographical information about the particular father chosen as a good representative of that topic, and how he embodies the character.

It's an okay book. If it encourages men to think more deeply about their character and work as pastors and/or if it encourages men to read more widely in the church fathers, then it has done its job. It is just not a book that jumps to the top of my list for reading I would recommend for pastors or would-be pastors.

[Nate Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ford and Wilhite do a remarkable job linking modern pastoral ministry with the ancient Church Fathers and so their applicability in a modern complex. Additionally, they write in such a manner that is easily consummable by the general reader so that they may gain an appreciation of the early Church Fathers and can go further explore their favorites. However, that's the best 2 qualities of this book: modern applicability and an introduction. Otherwise, too much of the writing skirts around the Church Fathers and does not expose more of their writing. I felt that there was more Dallas Willard than direct quotations (not actually) and we could have driven the specific views of Ambrose or Irenaeus more (for example).

[Daniel Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this book was a joy to read. It is a great little introduction to some of the thoughts of the church fathers and it serves as a guide to help pastors shepherd their flock well. The two authors do a good job and can be seen to have heart for the church being cared for well. The book is full of ancient wisdom that will definitely serve to encourage pastors and therefore encourage the flock of God. The only thing that would make the book better would be a little more interaction with the Patristic era as it can seem a little shallow on some chapters. But as I said before, it was a great joy to read this book.

[Chris Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for me.

'For the fathers, theology was not theoretical speculation; it was an act of worship' (218).

Overall I enjoyed this introduction to the Fathers and their theology. The retrieval of this seems to be all the rage at the moment, so it was nice to have a more popular level book on the subject. I found the contents a bit patchy - some chapters were excellent, others a little uninspiring. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Ambrose, Iranaeus and Greogry the Great (perhaps because they are less familiar to me). Definitely worth the read, and it's encouraged me to go and read some more of the Church Fathers' works.

[Tyler Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite good, I will be using and referring to this often.

My singular criticism at the halfway point was “okay, but how do I do this? Where do I start?” I think the last couple chapters and the conclusion really nail that piece.

I do have one remaining question though it isn’t enough to subtract a star. It is essentially the question of whether the quoting of modern works constitutes an endorsement. I would not, for instance, endorse Pete Scazzaro. He is cited though, so I remain questioning about the authors’ view.

[Grace Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This book seemed tailor made for me. Historical Theology and Pastoral Care?! Yes please. It truly sung in its stories of the church fathers and its collation of their theological insights. What kept it from a 4 star for me was its somewhat scattered focuses in the chapters. Though the topics were given, they weren’t always adhered to. It felt like the authors were so keen to download as much information they had gleaned over their years of study, that it became unfocused. That said, the attempt was admirable and insightful.