Becoming a Pastor: Forming Self and Soul for Ministry, Revised and Updated

by Jaco J. Hamman

Revised and updated edition of a best-selling leadership and ministry guide! Whether you're a pastor or church leader, says Hamman, you're called to do the following for yourself: develop a deeper sense of inner security; nurture your imagination; embrace your dark side; become aware of your emotions; see others as they really are; and engage in life with a sense of playfulness. Hamman equips you to do all of this and more. Get ready for a transformation in your personal ministry and in your relationship with God--and become the best pastor you can be!

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction

236 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2007

Reviews

[Starla Gooch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamman does strong interdisciplinary work in this book integrating pastoral theology and psychology. He translates and theologizes many psychological concepts, especially from object relations, to apply to pastoral work. With this come many insights that are helpful and illuminating. The only drawback is that it requires quite a high level of cognitive understanding, and I worry that the text may not be as accessible for those with no prior knowledge of these psychological theorists. Additionally, the chapter on different generations automatically dates this text. For future syllabi in pastoral theology, however, I could see myself assigning certain chapters or excerpts from this book to help students in pastoral ministry think more thoughtfully and complexly about themselves and the work they do.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Alex Kearney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would rate 0 stars if I could. Very worldly view of the pastorate. There are many other books that are far better on the subject.

[Steve Lee Sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps more psychology than theology...

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!

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hamman organizes this book around a series of "capacities." It has some good information, but is fairly full of psychobabble.