Allan Hugh Cole, Editor, From Midterms to Ministry: Practical Theologians on Pastoral Beginnings. Eerdmans, 2008.
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a collection of essays on “pastoral” theology for persons who are moving from Bible college or seminary to the world of ministry. It is a good reflective piece for one’s first year. The individual essays stand alone and do not have to be read in progression. The chapter titles are a good window into content, helping the reader select what is most useful. Below are some of my stronger recommendations:
- The Essential Untidiness of Ministry, Thomas G. Long
- Leadership, Pastoral Identity, and Friendship: Navigating the Transition from Seminary to Parish, L. Gregory Jones and Susan Pendleton Jones
- Fragile Connections: Constructing an Identity in the First Year of Ministry, Carrie Doehring
- The Furnace of Humiliation, Pamela D. Coutoure
- Contemplation in Action, Anthony B. Robinson
- Sustaining the Pastoral Life, Earl F. Palmer
- Gossip: The Grace Notes of Congregational Life, Carol L. Schnabl Schweitzer
- Blooming Where We Are Planted, Kathy Dawson
From the Publisher
The distinguished contributors to this volume – ministers, scholars, and theological educators – share personal reflections on the sometimes-difficult transition from being a seminarian to becoming a minister. Based on their own life experiences, they address the two related but different “worlds” of theological school and ministry setting, each with its own set of expectations, values, challenges, focal points, and rewards. Contributors: Wallace M. Alston, Jr., Ray S. Anderson, M. Craig Barnes, Elizabeth F. Caldwell, Allan Hugh Cole, Jr., Pamela D. Couture, Kathy Dawson, Carrie Doehring, Michael Jinkins, L. Gregory Jones, Susan Pendleton Jones, James F. Kay, Cleophus J. LaRue, Thomas G. Long, Loren B. Mead, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Earl F. Palmer, Stephanie Paulsell, Anthony B. Robinson, Carol L. Schnabl Schweitzer, Theodore J. Wardlaw, Traci C. West, William H. Willimon, J. Philip Wogaman, and Karen Marie Yust.
About the Editor
Allan Hugh Cole Jr. is the Nancy T. Williamson Associate Professor of Pastoral Care at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, Texas.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
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