Resources: Recommended Books
Practical Theology
Practical Theology in Action
Paul Ballard, John Pritchard
An introduction to theology for all those involved in pastoral care and in applying Christian thinking to the service of church and society. Using everyday stories, the authors explore a variety of pastoral situations and reflect on them theologically. Buy from Amazon
A Critique of Pastoral Care
Stephen Pattison
In this work, the author advances a powerful case for a re-energized, committed public theology, alongside a politicized and compassionate form of pastoral care. Buy from Amazon
Spiritual Dimensions Of Pastoral Care
David Willows (Editor), John Swinton (Editor), Don Browning
Written by significant researchers and practitioners within the field, this collection of key texts introduces the reader to practical theology. It critically explores the way in which the spiritual dimension of pastoral care has entered into constructive dialogue with other disciplines and ways of thinking, including psychiatry, psychology, counselling, intercultural studies, educational methodology, narrative theory and political studies. Set within this multidisciplinary context, the individual contributions ( a selection of articles from a leading journal of pastoral theology, "Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Studies") cover a wide range of practical and theological issues that alert the reader to the spiritual dimension of pastoral care, such as bereavement, sexuality, ethics, learning disabilities, infertility, the meaning of pain, sickness and suffering and the nature of theology as a practical discipline. The book should be of interest to practitioners, researchers, students and all who have an interest in the ways in which a spiritual dimension can enhance caring practices within a multidisciplinary context. Buy from Amazon
The Integrity of Pastoral Care
David Lyall
This work presents a study of pastoral care as the central pastoral ministry of the church, relating it to other functions of Christian ministry. The theological importance of pastoral care is explored, and other pastoral activities, which have parallels in secular therapies, redefined within this context. This book is central within the "New Library of Pastoral Care", striving as it does to balance the practical and the theological. Buy from Amazon
Transforming Practice: Pastoral Theology in an Age of Uncertainty (Second edition)
Elaine L. Graham
In an age where traditional values are facing a crisis and there is much uncertainty, what sources and norms may guide Christian action in the world? Do Christian truth-claims make any coherent sense amidst the confusing narratives of the public domain? The aim of this work is to reconstruct the values by which Christian praxis may be guided in a pluralistic and fragmented society, and to identify a model of pastoral theology in a postmodern age. The book argues that the proper focus of pastoral theology is not applied theology or the work of the ordained pastor, but the critical study of values of the purposeful practices of the faith community itself. Buy from Amazon
All God's Children: Sharing in the Care of Children
Marian Carter
At the centre of the Christian faith is the Christ child born in a manger, growing through childhood, telling stories, dying alone, rising and reconciling the child to God. Jesus challenged his disciples, saying that they would never enter the kingdom of heaven unless they became like little children. All Christians are God’s children, yet the importance of children, and their pastoral care, is often overlooked.
This helpful and practical book offers theological, sociological and psychological insights about childhood and the care and nurture of children within the church. Marian Carter also includes questions to encourage discussion and interaction in groups or to stimulate personal reflection for individual readers. Buy from Amazon
Chaplaincy, counselling & mental health
Spirituality and Mental Health Care
John Swinton
A person's sense of spirituality informs his or her awareness of self and of the society around them, and is intrinsic to their mental well-being. In this balanced and thoughtful book John Swinton explores the connections between mental health or illness and spirituality and draws on these to provide practical guidance for people working in the mental health field. He analyses a range of models of mental health care provision that will enable carers to increase their awareness of aspects of spirituality in their caring strategies.
Using a critical evidence-based and interdisciplinary approach to contemporary mental health practice, Swinton explores the therapeutic significance of spirituality from the perspectives of both carers and service-users, looking at mental health problems such as psychotic disorder and depression, Alzheimer's disease and bipolar disorder. He also provides a critical review of existing literature in the field to place spirituality in contemporary theory and practice. Buy from Amazon
Resurrecting the Person : Friendship and the Care of People With Mental Health Problems
John Swinton
In Resurrecting the Person, John Swinton argues that while mental illnesses are often biological and genetic in origin, the real handicap experienced by individuals is imposed by the types of reactions, values, and attitudes which are typical of contemporary western society. In other words, how a mental illness is experienced has much to do with how it is socially constructed. How will the church react to this suggestion? Swinton suggests that the key to the effective pastoral care of individuals with severe mental illness lies not only within the realms of psychiatry, therapy, and pharmacological intervention, but in the rehumanization which is borne within the relationship of friendship. Buy from Amazon
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