What do you think?
Rate this book
Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry
This much-needed book fully integrates principles of pastoral care, leadership, and theology to restore to ministers a clearly defined pastoral identity. Moving from a critique of inadequate models for ministry -- from community organizer to T. V. evangelist -- Oden develops a more classical model, rich in its references to the past and compatible both with Christian faith and theology through the ages and with current needs. Reconciling classical tradition with practice, Pastoral Theology will be a standard resource and reference in the field. Oden distills the best ideas of the two millennia of ecumenical Christian thinking concerning what pastors are and do. Pastoral Theology provides the foundational knowledge of the pastoral office requisite to the practice of ministry. It will be of interest to persons preparing for ordination in its review of key issues; at the same time, Pastoral Theology will appeal to all those who have considered entering the ministry, those who want to know more about what clergy do and why, and those ministers who want to review their ongoing work in the light of a systematic reflection on the pastoral gifts and tasks.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1983
34 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Thomas C. Oden
159 books78 followersThomas C. Oden was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004. He remained faculty emeritus until his death. He was the general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and the Ancient Christian Doctrine series as well as the author of Classic Christianity, a revision of his three-volume systematic theology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 26, 2019
Everything I’ve read by Thomas Oden has been gold! This is no different. With his focus on paleo-orthodoxy, Oden weighs his sources appropriately: Bible, Patristics, Medieval, Reformation, and then modern.
While he looks to ancient sources for pastoral theology, this work is still incredibly practical. Despite hundreds of years separating these ancient sources from today, they’re still practical and invaluable.
Do yourself a favor and read anything by Thomas Oden!
While he looks to ancient sources for pastoral theology, this work is still incredibly practical. Despite hundreds of years separating these ancient sources from today, they’re still practical and invaluable.
Do yourself a favor and read anything by Thomas Oden!
February 7, 2017
Thomas C. Oden wrote Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry in the mid-1980s. Oden laments the state of the pastoral office, noting it seems to be suffering an identity crisis as some money-grubbing ministers are quintessential Elmer Gantrys while on the other hand, other pastors have fully-embraced the latest pragmatic management or secular psychotherapeutic techniques without rooting themselves in the Bible and Christian tradition (xii, 3-4). Oden admits much of ministry is learned through experience rather than taught, but he also cautions “It is dangerous to the health of the church for ministry to be practiced without good foundation in Scripture and tradition, reason and experience” (xii). Oden advocates a recovery of pastoral theology that draws upon the rich well of previous pastors and saints. He reminds us that ministry, appointed by God, demonstrates God’s ability to work through sinful, limited human beings (81).
Oden offers criteria and guidance for those who are trying to discern a call to ministry. He asks probing questions – can one competently teach, does one have a suitable degree of empathy, is there evidence of spiritual fruit in the prospective ordinand’s life (18-22)? These are challenging but good questions. Oden doesn’t think one needs to be exceptional in all of these areas but he thinks one should be adequate at most of them. Someone with practical gifts of ministry but sheer apathy towards the complex questions of theology should wait until they develop a concern and care for such questions; likewise, one who thrives on the intellectual questions of faith but who lacks “practical pastoral duties” should also wait until those practical skills are demonstrated and developed (23). Oden wisely recalls that not everyone’s call will look the same, much like Matthew and Paul had very separate calls to ministry (24). Oden also states:
“It may be intuitively important to the candidate to assess where doors are opening or closing in the pursuit of ministry, how a peak experience, a bereavement, university admissions, a serious accident, or a broken love affair may have seemed to signal something personally significant so as to impinge upon the interpretation of the possible call to ministry. In what sense do these events suggest a providential direction to that person’s vocational choice? Even though their interpretations of calling may vary widely, most who feel strongly called to ministry have experienced some sense of providential direction or leading. Some are more dramatic…Other people may experience a quieter ‘hedging’ of the way, in which certain options seem to be silently blocked off and other doors quietly wedged open. These developments may take years to unfold” (24).
Oden notes an inward call must also have an outward confirmation by the ecclesial community. As much as Pastoral Theology helps readers understand the call and practice of ministry, I greatly appreciate Oden’s concern for the CHURCH AS A WHOLE. In an age of individualism, Oden continually cautions that an unprepared or uncalled minister will not just jeopardize themselves, but their CONGREGATIONS as well. Congregations deserve to have competent and faithful ministers; ministry is not an ego-trip for the individual to fulfill.
Oden offers a correction of the doctrine of the “priesthood of all believers.” This is a commonly mistaken doctrine; many falsely think it affirms the individual believer but it actually refers to “the whole people of God as a priesthood” (87). Due to this, the Church DOES need ordained ministry as “centuries of experience show that the laity best pray under the guidance of the apostolic tradition mediated by a prepared and informed ministry…This requires committed and informed persons who have studied that tradition in more than a slapdash way as a serious lifelong pursuit and intentional vocational commitment and who have been set aside both by their inner sense of calling and by the outward action of the church” (88). Here I agree and disagree with Oden (after all, I was raised in a Brethren church!). I affirm his commitment to theological education but some aspects of ministry require different charisms than one simply achieved through a seminary degree. Darrell Johnson identifies seven giftings based on Romans 12 – prophecy, teaching, exhortation, service, mercy, generosity, and leading. These not only inform someone’s preacher style but are also held widely among the whole people of God. Thus, someone can have the gift of mercy without being ordained. I think mature Christian friends can confess to each other and proclaim the mercy of Christ upon each other. I don’t think Communion requires consecration from an ordained minister whereas Oden thinks it best that the sacraments are performed by ministers (106). In addressing the sacrament of baptism, Oden tactfully navigates between paedo-baptists and credo-baptists, explaining that believer’s baptism “emphasizes responsible, free adult decision. It avoids the awkwardness of assuming that the individual infant is capable of a response to faith, which presupposes volition, intelligence, and accountability. The tradition of infant baptism…stresses the divine initiative prior to our human response, arguing that prevenient grace goes before our faith” (114).
Prayer is an essential aspect of the Christian life and Oden offers readers six concise answers to common questions about prayer such as “If God is omniscient, is it necessary for us to state what we want or need? Doesn’t God know our needs already?” (97-99). Oden points out that “Christian worship implicitly rehearses the order of salvation…from the reality of God, through creation, the fall, providence, sin, Christology, atonement, justification, redemption, and salvation, and then finally to sanctification, pneumatology, ecclesiology and eschatology” (103).
Chapter 9 focuses on preaching, which requires both God’s anointing and the preacher’s effort to enhance his or her preaching skills (134). Oden notes there are different types of preaching but all are necessary. There are exegetical, pastoral, doctrinal, and morally instructive sermons (129). The lectionary is recommended as a way to regularly preach the “whole counsel of God” (135). Does a seeker-sensitive service prevent the whole counsel of God being preached? It is easier to introduce a non-Christian to Jesus through one of the Gospels or demonstrate biblical application through the epistles but what about the narratives in Judges or the (tedious!) laws in Leviticus or Deuteronomy? Yet most people need their views of Yahweh corrected more than their views of Jesus, although Christ must always be at the centre of all preaching.
But Oden also notes that in a diverse congregation it is challenging to preach both to the simplest and intelligent person in the pew. It makes me wonder how often during sermon preparation a pastor will intentionally make points for specific demographics in his/her congregation in mind (134). Oden further states:
“Suppose you have in your congregation people of very high intellect and astute education, yet also people with little or no education. How do you preach to that congregation? Most traditional pastoral literature asks for spare, simple communication, on the assumption that if you attend carefully to plain, ordinary wisdom you will include all listeners in your address” (137). Earlier Oden had also declared that “It is simplicity, far more than complex doctrinal formulation, that has sustained Christian belief over many centuries of cultural change” (107).
Christian pedagogy needs BOTH the Holy Spirit’s illumination and human effort (142). The church is called to teach but parents too have an especially formative role as they instruct their children in the faith. This is witnessed both in Scripture itself, such as Timothy and his mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5) and in history (Augustine and his mother Monica, the Wesley brothers and Susanna).
I tend to be suspicious and cynical about the emphasis on leadership, administration, and analytics that seem to be so much a part of the modern megachurch. Oden nods to these concerns, writing, “seminarians are prone to approach the study of ministry with a strong anti-administration view, prematurely associating this facilitative side of the ministry with manipulation and crass business practices, and perhaps with corruption and loss of integrity. Insofar as this occurs, the task of ‘administry’ or administration has not been well grasped biblically and theologically” (154). He does acknowledge that “Just as in pastoral care there has been a tendency in some quarters to take over psychotherapeutic approaches and to uncritically welcome them directly into the practice of ministry, so in pastoral leadership there has been a tendency occasionally to look inordinately toward modern business techniques and industrial management principles as the sole guides for church administration” (154), but Oden then continues to offer a robust and biblically-grounded perspective on the importance and historical rootedness of the pastoral office involving administration. One way to be a good administrator is to delegate tasks to lay leaders who show aptitude in particular areas (the Jethro principle). This will also prevent the pastor from burning out (156-58).
Oden advocates recovering regular pastoral visitation, which has been practiced since the apostolic church and was especially recovered by the Reformers who feared the abuses of medieval penance and confession (175). This is an aspect of pastoral ministry that I feel is neglected in much of evangelicalism. Oden identifies several of the contemporary challenges to it on page 170. Again, I think part of this is due to our culture’s desire for self-autonomy which inculcates an attitude of self-voluntarism; the pastor cannot mandate, “We should meet,” but instead relies upon the congregant to make the offer. Additionally, many “one-on-ones” these days are removed from the congregant’s home and instead take place in the pastor’s office or at a café. Sometimes this is due to cultural dynamics (in my experience, people of Oriental descent, especially those who originally hail from Asia, are not prone to inviting non-Oriental people into their homes) but this also makes it harder for a pastor to understand the congregant because one’s home is often reflective of one’s character, passions, etc…Oden cautions pastors not to make visitation an expedition in nosiness, but at the same time, a cursory look at someone’s bookshelves, DVDs, artwork, general tidiness, can be revealing. Oden recognizes that visitation can seem intrusive and that many pastors may be hesitant and resistant to initiating visitations (as an introvert I would certainly feel that diffidence!) but that it is nonetheless an essential part of ministry as ministry is very relational (183). Another form of intrusiveness is what is discussed; how does the pastor balance the conversation so that it’s not merely a “social klatch” nor is it an intense, rigid, and unwanted inquisition (177). Oden offers some suggestions for ways to prepare, particularly through prayer as we ask God “What am I grateful for concerning this person? Where does this person’s current struggle lie? Are there urgent needs? What can I do on this person’s behalf?” (179). As well, he acknowledges that some people are easier to relate to than others but that everyone in the congregation requires appropriate visitation. I think one reason pastoral visitation has perhaps declined is due to the fact that pastors also know the need to establish boundaries that protect their own vocation as spouses and parents and so if congregants can only meet when they are off work in the evening, this creates obstacles since that might be time reserved by the pastor for their own family. Additionally, in a social media world some people might see a pastor’s interaction with congregants in their home and envy and wonder why the pastor doesn’t visit THEM at home.
Another important (although challenging) task of pastoral care is admonition, which “involves correction when things go wrong and may require confrontation when they go amiss repeatedly” and which always requires the Holy Spirit’s guidance (206, 210). Oden astutely points out that the church is “primarily a moral and spiritual body” (208). This is a helpful corrective to the individualism that is rampant in our society. A church like Tenth, due to its size and the frequency of visitors, has a challenge in this regard since it can be difficult to sort out the committed body of members and those who are one-time or infrequent guests. Oden remarks, “The well-instructed Christian community is aware of its own sin, but this is not inconsistent with the desire to present itself holy before the Lord insofar as possible. Church discipline is thought to be an important part of the proximate purification of the church. Without it, how could one envision a church that hopes to stand in good conscience before the Holy One (209)?”At the same time, a concern for the moral well-being of the church body must be balanced with “the redemptive concern for the person, the reformation of the misguided, the restoration into fellowship of persons estranged from the body of Christ. The assumption is that persons who enter into the Christian community do so voluntarily. They do so because they wish to share in the life of Christ and they seek earnestly to embody life in Christ in their own behavior. When that does not occur, is there not a duty owed to such a person to help nurture and support a redirection of behavior, a maturing process, in order to help behaviour move incrementally toward a greater responsiveness to Christ (209)?”
Pastoral care will inevitably require a suitable explanation of theodicy, especially for the poor who are often victims of larger social structures and forces that oppress them (282). Oden offers 12 pastoral consolations for theodicy, including the necessity of free will, how suffering can have a cleansing effect, how evil is “socially rooted and socially redeemed,” etc…(226-244). These heady questions also come into play at the end of life when the pastor alone, not the physician and not the psychiatrist, can provide illumination on how to end life well.
I admittedly haven’t read a lot of books on ministry, but “Pastoral Theology” provides a robust guide to its various aspects, rooted in the Bible and the best of the ecumenical tradition.
Oden offers criteria and guidance for those who are trying to discern a call to ministry. He asks probing questions – can one competently teach, does one have a suitable degree of empathy, is there evidence of spiritual fruit in the prospective ordinand’s life (18-22)? These are challenging but good questions. Oden doesn’t think one needs to be exceptional in all of these areas but he thinks one should be adequate at most of them. Someone with practical gifts of ministry but sheer apathy towards the complex questions of theology should wait until they develop a concern and care for such questions; likewise, one who thrives on the intellectual questions of faith but who lacks “practical pastoral duties” should also wait until those practical skills are demonstrated and developed (23). Oden wisely recalls that not everyone’s call will look the same, much like Matthew and Paul had very separate calls to ministry (24). Oden also states:
“It may be intuitively important to the candidate to assess where doors are opening or closing in the pursuit of ministry, how a peak experience, a bereavement, university admissions, a serious accident, or a broken love affair may have seemed to signal something personally significant so as to impinge upon the interpretation of the possible call to ministry. In what sense do these events suggest a providential direction to that person’s vocational choice? Even though their interpretations of calling may vary widely, most who feel strongly called to ministry have experienced some sense of providential direction or leading. Some are more dramatic…Other people may experience a quieter ‘hedging’ of the way, in which certain options seem to be silently blocked off and other doors quietly wedged open. These developments may take years to unfold” (24).
Oden notes an inward call must also have an outward confirmation by the ecclesial community. As much as Pastoral Theology helps readers understand the call and practice of ministry, I greatly appreciate Oden’s concern for the CHURCH AS A WHOLE. In an age of individualism, Oden continually cautions that an unprepared or uncalled minister will not just jeopardize themselves, but their CONGREGATIONS as well. Congregations deserve to have competent and faithful ministers; ministry is not an ego-trip for the individual to fulfill.
Oden offers a correction of the doctrine of the “priesthood of all believers.” This is a commonly mistaken doctrine; many falsely think it affirms the individual believer but it actually refers to “the whole people of God as a priesthood” (87). Due to this, the Church DOES need ordained ministry as “centuries of experience show that the laity best pray under the guidance of the apostolic tradition mediated by a prepared and informed ministry…This requires committed and informed persons who have studied that tradition in more than a slapdash way as a serious lifelong pursuit and intentional vocational commitment and who have been set aside both by their inner sense of calling and by the outward action of the church” (88). Here I agree and disagree with Oden (after all, I was raised in a Brethren church!). I affirm his commitment to theological education but some aspects of ministry require different charisms than one simply achieved through a seminary degree. Darrell Johnson identifies seven giftings based on Romans 12 – prophecy, teaching, exhortation, service, mercy, generosity, and leading. These not only inform someone’s preacher style but are also held widely among the whole people of God. Thus, someone can have the gift of mercy without being ordained. I think mature Christian friends can confess to each other and proclaim the mercy of Christ upon each other. I don’t think Communion requires consecration from an ordained minister whereas Oden thinks it best that the sacraments are performed by ministers (106). In addressing the sacrament of baptism, Oden tactfully navigates between paedo-baptists and credo-baptists, explaining that believer’s baptism “emphasizes responsible, free adult decision. It avoids the awkwardness of assuming that the individual infant is capable of a response to faith, which presupposes volition, intelligence, and accountability. The tradition of infant baptism…stresses the divine initiative prior to our human response, arguing that prevenient grace goes before our faith” (114).
Prayer is an essential aspect of the Christian life and Oden offers readers six concise answers to common questions about prayer such as “If God is omniscient, is it necessary for us to state what we want or need? Doesn’t God know our needs already?” (97-99). Oden points out that “Christian worship implicitly rehearses the order of salvation…from the reality of God, through creation, the fall, providence, sin, Christology, atonement, justification, redemption, and salvation, and then finally to sanctification, pneumatology, ecclesiology and eschatology” (103).
Chapter 9 focuses on preaching, which requires both God’s anointing and the preacher’s effort to enhance his or her preaching skills (134). Oden notes there are different types of preaching but all are necessary. There are exegetical, pastoral, doctrinal, and morally instructive sermons (129). The lectionary is recommended as a way to regularly preach the “whole counsel of God” (135). Does a seeker-sensitive service prevent the whole counsel of God being preached? It is easier to introduce a non-Christian to Jesus through one of the Gospels or demonstrate biblical application through the epistles but what about the narratives in Judges or the (tedious!) laws in Leviticus or Deuteronomy? Yet most people need their views of Yahweh corrected more than their views of Jesus, although Christ must always be at the centre of all preaching.
But Oden also notes that in a diverse congregation it is challenging to preach both to the simplest and intelligent person in the pew. It makes me wonder how often during sermon preparation a pastor will intentionally make points for specific demographics in his/her congregation in mind (134). Oden further states:
“Suppose you have in your congregation people of very high intellect and astute education, yet also people with little or no education. How do you preach to that congregation? Most traditional pastoral literature asks for spare, simple communication, on the assumption that if you attend carefully to plain, ordinary wisdom you will include all listeners in your address” (137). Earlier Oden had also declared that “It is simplicity, far more than complex doctrinal formulation, that has sustained Christian belief over many centuries of cultural change” (107).
Christian pedagogy needs BOTH the Holy Spirit’s illumination and human effort (142). The church is called to teach but parents too have an especially formative role as they instruct their children in the faith. This is witnessed both in Scripture itself, such as Timothy and his mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5) and in history (Augustine and his mother Monica, the Wesley brothers and Susanna).
I tend to be suspicious and cynical about the emphasis on leadership, administration, and analytics that seem to be so much a part of the modern megachurch. Oden nods to these concerns, writing, “seminarians are prone to approach the study of ministry with a strong anti-administration view, prematurely associating this facilitative side of the ministry with manipulation and crass business practices, and perhaps with corruption and loss of integrity. Insofar as this occurs, the task of ‘administry’ or administration has not been well grasped biblically and theologically” (154). He does acknowledge that “Just as in pastoral care there has been a tendency in some quarters to take over psychotherapeutic approaches and to uncritically welcome them directly into the practice of ministry, so in pastoral leadership there has been a tendency occasionally to look inordinately toward modern business techniques and industrial management principles as the sole guides for church administration” (154), but Oden then continues to offer a robust and biblically-grounded perspective on the importance and historical rootedness of the pastoral office involving administration. One way to be a good administrator is to delegate tasks to lay leaders who show aptitude in particular areas (the Jethro principle). This will also prevent the pastor from burning out (156-58).
Oden advocates recovering regular pastoral visitation, which has been practiced since the apostolic church and was especially recovered by the Reformers who feared the abuses of medieval penance and confession (175). This is an aspect of pastoral ministry that I feel is neglected in much of evangelicalism. Oden identifies several of the contemporary challenges to it on page 170. Again, I think part of this is due to our culture’s desire for self-autonomy which inculcates an attitude of self-voluntarism; the pastor cannot mandate, “We should meet,” but instead relies upon the congregant to make the offer. Additionally, many “one-on-ones” these days are removed from the congregant’s home and instead take place in the pastor’s office or at a café. Sometimes this is due to cultural dynamics (in my experience, people of Oriental descent, especially those who originally hail from Asia, are not prone to inviting non-Oriental people into their homes) but this also makes it harder for a pastor to understand the congregant because one’s home is often reflective of one’s character, passions, etc…Oden cautions pastors not to make visitation an expedition in nosiness, but at the same time, a cursory look at someone’s bookshelves, DVDs, artwork, general tidiness, can be revealing. Oden recognizes that visitation can seem intrusive and that many pastors may be hesitant and resistant to initiating visitations (as an introvert I would certainly feel that diffidence!) but that it is nonetheless an essential part of ministry as ministry is very relational (183). Another form of intrusiveness is what is discussed; how does the pastor balance the conversation so that it’s not merely a “social klatch” nor is it an intense, rigid, and unwanted inquisition (177). Oden offers some suggestions for ways to prepare, particularly through prayer as we ask God “What am I grateful for concerning this person? Where does this person’s current struggle lie? Are there urgent needs? What can I do on this person’s behalf?” (179). As well, he acknowledges that some people are easier to relate to than others but that everyone in the congregation requires appropriate visitation. I think one reason pastoral visitation has perhaps declined is due to the fact that pastors also know the need to establish boundaries that protect their own vocation as spouses and parents and so if congregants can only meet when they are off work in the evening, this creates obstacles since that might be time reserved by the pastor for their own family. Additionally, in a social media world some people might see a pastor’s interaction with congregants in their home and envy and wonder why the pastor doesn’t visit THEM at home.
Another important (although challenging) task of pastoral care is admonition, which “involves correction when things go wrong and may require confrontation when they go amiss repeatedly” and which always requires the Holy Spirit’s guidance (206, 210). Oden astutely points out that the church is “primarily a moral and spiritual body” (208). This is a helpful corrective to the individualism that is rampant in our society. A church like Tenth, due to its size and the frequency of visitors, has a challenge in this regard since it can be difficult to sort out the committed body of members and those who are one-time or infrequent guests. Oden remarks, “The well-instructed Christian community is aware of its own sin, but this is not inconsistent with the desire to present itself holy before the Lord insofar as possible. Church discipline is thought to be an important part of the proximate purification of the church. Without it, how could one envision a church that hopes to stand in good conscience before the Holy One (209)?”At the same time, a concern for the moral well-being of the church body must be balanced with “the redemptive concern for the person, the reformation of the misguided, the restoration into fellowship of persons estranged from the body of Christ. The assumption is that persons who enter into the Christian community do so voluntarily. They do so because they wish to share in the life of Christ and they seek earnestly to embody life in Christ in their own behavior. When that does not occur, is there not a duty owed to such a person to help nurture and support a redirection of behavior, a maturing process, in order to help behaviour move incrementally toward a greater responsiveness to Christ (209)?”
Pastoral care will inevitably require a suitable explanation of theodicy, especially for the poor who are often victims of larger social structures and forces that oppress them (282). Oden offers 12 pastoral consolations for theodicy, including the necessity of free will, how suffering can have a cleansing effect, how evil is “socially rooted and socially redeemed,” etc…(226-244). These heady questions also come into play at the end of life when the pastor alone, not the physician and not the psychiatrist, can provide illumination on how to end life well.
I admittedly haven’t read a lot of books on ministry, but “Pastoral Theology” provides a robust guide to its various aspects, rooted in the Bible and the best of the ecumenical tradition.
November 14, 2019
Oden's classic text gets 5 stars for living up to what he sought to do...
"I am hoping to offer a classically grounded systematic pastoral theology that is not insufferably dull. I seek simply to bring the available wisdoms of the pastoral tradition into clear, sharp contemporary expression, pertinent to the practice of ministry today. That is why I intentionally quote very few modern writers and stress more heavily the most consensual patristic sources, weighing most heavily the eight doctors of the church."
The classically grounded nature of this text is its most unique and important offering. Today's church leaders do well to sit at the feet of an Augustine or an Ambrose not just to learn theology, but also the various avenues of pastoral ministry. The modern distinction between pastors laboring over practical matters on behalf of the Church and scholars laboring over theological matters on behalf of the Academy would be seen as a false and unnecessary dichotomy by the doctors of the church. Oden also succeeds at organizing the text in a rigorously systematic fashion and not writing in an "insufferably dull" manner.
"I am hoping to offer a classically grounded systematic pastoral theology that is not insufferably dull. I seek simply to bring the available wisdoms of the pastoral tradition into clear, sharp contemporary expression, pertinent to the practice of ministry today. That is why I intentionally quote very few modern writers and stress more heavily the most consensual patristic sources, weighing most heavily the eight doctors of the church."
The classically grounded nature of this text is its most unique and important offering. Today's church leaders do well to sit at the feet of an Augustine or an Ambrose not just to learn theology, but also the various avenues of pastoral ministry. The modern distinction between pastors laboring over practical matters on behalf of the Church and scholars laboring over theological matters on behalf of the Academy would be seen as a false and unnecessary dichotomy by the doctors of the church. Oden also succeeds at organizing the text in a rigorously systematic fashion and not writing in an "insufferably dull" manner.
December 3, 2023
If there were such thing as theological cringe, it would be this book. Oden has an obvious and unconvincing agenda to promote egalitarianism. I especially felt uncomfortable every time Oden used female pronouns in reference to the Spirit. On a positive note, I appreciated his poetic writing style and bibliography. The majority of his citations include the early church fathers and prominent pastoral figures in antiquity - Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Baxter, Crysostom. I found his chapters on pastoral visitation and community responsibilities particularly insightful, but these chapters felt like they belonged to another book. I think there are better, more focused resources on those topics. Not worth the theological cringe.
September 19, 2018
I've not read any other book that tried to provide a systematic theology for the pastoral office, and so I don't really have much to compare it to. I gained all sorts of insights from reading it, but I'm not sure if that's specific to Oden's treatment of the subject, or if I am such an introductory student that any such book would have been extremely instructive.
The book was a slow starter for me. Oden's tone is rather dry and while that doesn't typically bother me, I found myself dragging my feet about reading the next chapter. And yet every time I did actually sit down to read one, I found myself really challenged and instructed.
As I continued through the book the fact that it was so consistently rewarding quickly overcame the dryness and any other hesitations I had. I am especially a fan of Oden's attempt to ground everything in the rich tradition of pastoral literature through the ages. There is a rootedness in history about this text that I really love and appreciate.
One odd exception to that is Oden's treatment of women pastor's, which puts him in a perilous place because he is claiming to only affirm that which has a long tradition in church history, and women in leadership obviously does not have much of an ecumenical consensus. He tries to wriggle around that point, but it's very much out of tone with the rest of the text, and the arguments he presents seemed rather weak because of it. I don't really disagree with his points, as I don't have any issue with women who feel called to the ministry. I just didn't like his arguments.
All that said, Oden's work in this and Classical Christianity have enriched my theologically life immeasurably. I look forward to reading more.
The book was a slow starter for me. Oden's tone is rather dry and while that doesn't typically bother me, I found myself dragging my feet about reading the next chapter. And yet every time I did actually sit down to read one, I found myself really challenged and instructed.
As I continued through the book the fact that it was so consistently rewarding quickly overcame the dryness and any other hesitations I had. I am especially a fan of Oden's attempt to ground everything in the rich tradition of pastoral literature through the ages. There is a rootedness in history about this text that I really love and appreciate.
One odd exception to that is Oden's treatment of women pastor's, which puts him in a perilous place because he is claiming to only affirm that which has a long tradition in church history, and women in leadership obviously does not have much of an ecumenical consensus. He tries to wriggle around that point, but it's very much out of tone with the rest of the text, and the arguments he presents seemed rather weak because of it. I don't really disagree with his points, as I don't have any issue with women who feel called to the ministry. I just didn't like his arguments.
All that said, Oden's work in this and Classical Christianity have enriched my theologically life immeasurably. I look forward to reading more.
November 7, 2017
I seriously hope there are much better and more recent books on pastoral theology out there. While there are a few gems in this book, most of it is either not helpful or discernible through common sense.
July 28, 2022
This is a very important book that makes an enormous contribution to the field of pastoral ministry. Among the reasons it is so valuable are:
It covers the “essential” areas of pastoral ministry both in providing biblical and theological foundations for understanding the pastor as a person and the ministerial role.
Oden has an astonishing grasp of the literature of pastoral theology. His grasp of pastoral theology in the early church is extensive and provides an important direction for the life and work of the pastor in the twentieth century.
The bibliographic direction at the end of each chapter would alone make this book unique. For the themes covered in each chapter, the author provides extensive bibliographic resources in Christian literature throughout the history of the Church.
Oden’s approach is, intentionally, “ecumenical.” For this reason, some readers will not be comfortable with aspects of his presentation. Nevertheless, his contribution is so unique that it cannot be ignored in responsible study of pastoral theology.
Unfortunately, the book is now somewhat dated (1983) and the bibliographies need to be updated.
It covers the “essential” areas of pastoral ministry both in providing biblical and theological foundations for understanding the pastor as a person and the ministerial role.
Oden has an astonishing grasp of the literature of pastoral theology. His grasp of pastoral theology in the early church is extensive and provides an important direction for the life and work of the pastor in the twentieth century.
The bibliographic direction at the end of each chapter would alone make this book unique. For the themes covered in each chapter, the author provides extensive bibliographic resources in Christian literature throughout the history of the Church.
Oden’s approach is, intentionally, “ecumenical.” For this reason, some readers will not be comfortable with aspects of his presentation. Nevertheless, his contribution is so unique that it cannot be ignored in responsible study of pastoral theology.
Unfortunately, the book is now somewhat dated (1983) and the bibliographies need to be updated.
September 2, 2020
This book is going to be a resource I use throughout my years in ministry that are ahead! I took extensive notes on each of the chapters since the material here is pretty rich. This book was one of the required readings for my Church Admin. course at IWU. It dived into many important themes of ministry and leadership/administration, like the following: pastoral identity, the meaning of ordination, gifts of ministry, what clergy do and why, pastoral counsel, crisis ministry, etc...
Definitely recommend this book to anyone who plans to have a career in ministry in the church!
Definitely recommend this book to anyone who plans to have a career in ministry in the church!
November 27, 2017
Oden's books is comprehensive and impressive. There are few biblical, theological, historical, and practical all-in-one pastoral theologies written today. However, it is really boring. More of a helpful reference (sometimes incredibly insightful such as his chapter on Administration).
Works better if you serve in a liturgical or hierarchical denomination/church.
Works better if you serve in a liturgical or hierarchical denomination/church.
December 15, 2018
An excellent, thorough, and systematic approach to pastoral ministry rooted in both scripture and historic tradition. A helpful primer and reference for me as I begin my first pastorate.
May 10, 2021
Great foundation, would love a collection of books that is updated and goes into more detail to each category
January 16, 2023
The absolute best book on practical ministry I have ever read (and I have read a few). I only wish I had read this and had the maturity to read it twenty years ago.
July 23, 2011
This is admittedly one of those books which I would normally never pick up... that said, I began reading this as one of the course texts i.e. it was a requirement!
Anyway, the book is a superb treatment on the area of pastoral theology. In particular, I enjoyed the chapters which dealt with the teaching/preaching role, admonishment, and theodicy. These were particularly outstanding.
In addition to this, Oden's decision to use the classics from the early church fathers as a basis for much of his work is also superb... He has done all the hard work, and summarized the key views of the early church fathers (on this area) into this solid text.
This is not to say that I agree with all that he said. In fact, I tend to think his chapter on woman in ordination to be quite poorly written, and also do not fully agree with his conclusions on some areas of baptism. Yet if one's calling is to be a pastor, or to be involved in some form of pastoral work, then Oden is probably one of those must read books.
Anyway, the book is a superb treatment on the area of pastoral theology. In particular, I enjoyed the chapters which dealt with the teaching/preaching role, admonishment, and theodicy. These were particularly outstanding.
In addition to this, Oden's decision to use the classics from the early church fathers as a basis for much of his work is also superb... He has done all the hard work, and summarized the key views of the early church fathers (on this area) into this solid text.
This is not to say that I agree with all that he said. In fact, I tend to think his chapter on woman in ordination to be quite poorly written, and also do not fully agree with his conclusions on some areas of baptism. Yet if one's calling is to be a pastor, or to be involved in some form of pastoral work, then Oden is probably one of those must read books.
August 26, 2016
When it comes to reading about pastoral theology, the question is not whether every minister should read 'Pastoral Theology' by Oden but when. If a minister reads it at the very beginning of one's ministry, one may argue with every paragraph. As the time passes on and one obtains experience, Oden's advises make more sense. Areas of advisory include ministerial calling, the meaning of the office, descriptions of rites, counseling, and crisis ministry. Almost every paragraph is buttressed with references from Scripture and early Church fathers. Nevertheless, Oden could have said more about marital rite and church's missional work, domestic and overseas. The book deserves a place on minister's bookshelf.
August 18, 2011
A decent overview of pastoral theology, with theological exploration of some areas I hadn't thought about theologically before (administration, visitation). It feels a little dated, but by no means obsolete. Nice use of patristic theology (which I seldom have the patience to read); Oden is well-acquainted with the Church Fathers and draws on that knowledge with ample citation and judiciously chosen quotations.
January 21, 2015
I found Oden's theology on the pastoral office to be very thorough and informative. Admittedly, I am not much of a sacramentalist or a liturgist so the sections that focused on these were mostly lost on me. The sections on preaching, pastoral visitation and soul care, the theology of suffering and more were all very engaging and challenging. I will likely be referring back to this book throughout my years as a pastor.
November 2, 2014
Even though this isn't the best book on pastoral ministry, what makes it very interesting is that Oden wrote it in the midst of his gradual rejection of liberal Christianity. He is not fully sound on some issues in this book, but that's okay because you can see he is questioning is older liberal tradition. This makes the book more of an autobiographical "snapshot" than anything else. Worth consulting but it needs to be supplemented.
May 3, 2010
This is an old, but excellent book about the theology behind the Christian ministry. Oden has performed a valuable service for us here by giving us these concepts.
A good read.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
A good read.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
Read
January 29, 2011a bit dated, but definitely the standard in the field.
April 13, 2012
A must read for any serious any one in ministry
December 16, 2012
Great book with many great insights, but some views are way too liberal for me.
November 25, 2015
For whatever quibbles one may have, Oden's work is masterful and imminently useful. This is a book to return to again and again. So much good stuff on every phase of pastoral work.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews