Augsburger, Caring Enough to Hear

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David Augsburger, Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard. Regal Books, 1980.

Referenced in: Church Conflict – Criticism, Difficult People, Difficult Conversations

LifeandLeadership.com Summary

Approaches the task of difficult conversations from the standpoint of both listening and speaking. Augsburger suggests six stages of such conversations:

  1. Listening: “Tell me again, I want to hear you,”
  2. Attending: “Try me again, I’m listening,”
  3. Hearing: “I want to hear, I want to be heard,”
  4. Leveling: “I want equality; I will hear you equally,”
  5. Risking: “I want to know you; I want to be known,”
  6. Caring: “I will value you as I want to be valued.”

Typical of Augsburger, very insightful. Full of helpful self-assessments and exercises.

About the Author

David Augsburger is the author of 20 books on pastoral counseling, marriage, conflict and human relations. He is a professor of pastoral counseling at Fuller Theological Seminary, and has also taught at seminaries in Chicago, Indiana and Pennsylvania. For over a decade, he served as radio spokesperson for the Mennonite Churches, and he has written feature articles that have appeared in over 100 different periodicals. An ordained minister of the Mennonite Church and a diplomat of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Augsburger leads workshops internationally.


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