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Freedom for ministry
A critical Affirmation of The Church and it's Mission
232 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1979
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45 people want to read
About the author
Richard John Neuhaus
95 books30 followersRichard John Neuhaus was a prominent Christian cleric (first as a Lutheran pastor and later as a Roman Catholic priest) and writer. Born in Canada, Neuhaus moved to the United States where he became a naturalized United States citizen. He was the founder and editor of the monthly journal First Things and the author of several books, including The Naked Public Square: Religion and Democracy in America (1984), The Catholic Moment: The Paradox of the Church in the Postmodern World (1987), and Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy, and the Splendor of Truth (2006). He was a staunch defender of the Roman Catholic Church's teachings on abortion and other life issues and an unofficial advisor of President George W. Bush on bioethical issues.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 16, 2023
I was reading some early chapters of this book in what I had hoped to be a quiet family restaurant. I was waiting for my plate of fried rice when a woman came in and started talking quite loudly on the telephone. It was harder to concentrate on the content of the book about ministry when the woman was talking about praying for the person on the other end of the line. I kept reading as my meal came, and the woman continued to talk. I was alarmed when I heard her pressuring the person on the other end of the call to state how much money they were intending to contribute to her church or ministry, stating her need of hundreds of dollars in US currency. I had not gotten too far past the part of the book in which Neuhaus states that we must love the Church and those who belong to Her, blemishes and all, regardless of denominational affiliation. I had a chance to practice this as I saw this sister in Christ as one who was in need of love from her fellow Christians, despite her annoying behaviour and employment of manipulation to get funds for ministry. It was an object lesson that helped the lesson from the book take root with me in a way that I will not soon forget.
Neuhaus wrote this book as a Lutheran pastor, but he has revised it after becoming a Roman Catholic priest. It remains a very encouraging and informative book. I liked the way he early on spotted the temptation the Church would face to become therapeutic rather than sacramental in its approach. He had been in the peace and civil rights movements, so he could also speak to the dangers of activism taking a place of prominence above pursuit of holiness for a pastor and his congregation.
There were a few spots where he was a bit liberal for my taste, but there was still much to reflect on and learn from. He spoke powerfully about where our authority for ministry comes from, and he reflects on the difficulties of being an ambassador for a King whose sovereignty has yet to be acknowledged by the environment in which we serve. His later practical tips regarding how to be an effective preacher and a good shepherd were also instructive. I would recommend this book for any pastor or missionary, whether newly ordained or a veteran.
Neuhaus wrote this book as a Lutheran pastor, but he has revised it after becoming a Roman Catholic priest. It remains a very encouraging and informative book. I liked the way he early on spotted the temptation the Church would face to become therapeutic rather than sacramental in its approach. He had been in the peace and civil rights movements, so he could also speak to the dangers of activism taking a place of prominence above pursuit of holiness for a pastor and his congregation.
There were a few spots where he was a bit liberal for my taste, but there was still much to reflect on and learn from. He spoke powerfully about where our authority for ministry comes from, and he reflects on the difficulties of being an ambassador for a King whose sovereignty has yet to be acknowledged by the environment in which we serve. His later practical tips regarding how to be an effective preacher and a good shepherd were also instructive. I would recommend this book for any pastor or missionary, whether newly ordained or a veteran.
May 14, 2020
Terrible.
December 29, 2023
A great book which I slowly digested over the course of a year or two. Great words of wisdom to slow down and reevaluate what the most important things are in ministry.
August 5, 2016
There's a deep refreshment in revisiting books read years before, specifically books that have claimed space in, and scribbled concepts on, one's heart. And so it has been a pleasure to revisit, after 10 year, the 271 page paperback, "Freedom for Ministry" authored by Richard John Neuhaus, who was at the time of the original edition a Lutheran pastor and later became a Roman Catholic priest, who was also founder and editor of the journal "First Things" and founder of the Institute of Religion and Democracy. First published in 1979, it was reproduced for print with only a new "Preface". The dog-eared, etched, annotated pages became familiar again, to remind and add renewed clarity. It is a book that was written for ministers across the Christian family, but holds a high regard for word, sacrament and ecclesiology.
The primary theme throughout the volume is that for ministers, pastors and priests "there is a necessary awkwardness about Christian ministry because we are ambassadors of a "disputed sovereignty." (x). This motif molds the whole manuscript. The author walks ministers through this ministerial awkwardness reminding clerical readers that "we are justified by grace in this situation; we do not need to justify this situation" (22). He addresses ecclesiology, minster models, authority, sacraments and liturgy, community, preaching, and pursuing holiness. And from front to back, over and around each classification covered, Neuhaus points out how in every aspect of our service we are people of faith that Jesus is Lord no matter how much this is disputed in our denominations or our democracy.
As the author works this overarching subject out through different aspects of Christian ministry, there are valuable insights on various topics that surface in surprising places and ways. It must be remembered that Neuhaus walked with Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, pastored a predominately black and Hispanic Lutheran congregation in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and was arrested as part of a sit-in at the New York Board of Education headquarters, where he was demanding integration of the public schools. This is the man who then wisely observes that it "is much easier to call for social transformation than to be personally transformed. Critics who rail against the dishonesties of government or corporations may be tempted to cheat on the love and justice owed to their families and the People of God" (242).
"Freedom for Ministry" is a sensible, sane and shrewd approach to Christian ministry, written by a man who had walked the path for many years in inner-city work. Instead of younger and older ministers snatching up "How-to" manuals on church growth and effectiveness, this volume should be the first thing they read. And it needs to be a companion that they return to often to help reorient and restabilize, especially in this time of cultural vertigo. Take heart, fellow ministers, for in "declaring the sovereignty of Christ, now disputed, we declare the future of the whole world" (132).
The primary theme throughout the volume is that for ministers, pastors and priests "there is a necessary awkwardness about Christian ministry because we are ambassadors of a "disputed sovereignty." (x). This motif molds the whole manuscript. The author walks ministers through this ministerial awkwardness reminding clerical readers that "we are justified by grace in this situation; we do not need to justify this situation" (22). He addresses ecclesiology, minster models, authority, sacraments and liturgy, community, preaching, and pursuing holiness. And from front to back, over and around each classification covered, Neuhaus points out how in every aspect of our service we are people of faith that Jesus is Lord no matter how much this is disputed in our denominations or our democracy.
As the author works this overarching subject out through different aspects of Christian ministry, there are valuable insights on various topics that surface in surprising places and ways. It must be remembered that Neuhaus walked with Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, pastored a predominately black and Hispanic Lutheran congregation in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and was arrested as part of a sit-in at the New York Board of Education headquarters, where he was demanding integration of the public schools. This is the man who then wisely observes that it "is much easier to call for social transformation than to be personally transformed. Critics who rail against the dishonesties of government or corporations may be tempted to cheat on the love and justice owed to their families and the People of God" (242).
"Freedom for Ministry" is a sensible, sane and shrewd approach to Christian ministry, written by a man who had walked the path for many years in inner-city work. Instead of younger and older ministers snatching up "How-to" manuals on church growth and effectiveness, this volume should be the first thing they read. And it needs to be a companion that they return to often to help reorient and restabilize, especially in this time of cultural vertigo. Take heart, fellow ministers, for in "declaring the sovereignty of Christ, now disputed, we declare the future of the whole world" (132).
October 28, 2008
Filled with wisdom in the practice of ministry.
June 11, 2012
It was suggested by a professor of mine that this book be read every couple of years for ministers. As I have started my journey in ministry apart from college, I must say, that his advice was wise.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews