A relational theory of ministry

The many forms that the practice of ministry assumes raise the question whether there is any central purpose or principle that serves as a valid criterion of authentic ministry. The work of the minister is here seen as interpersonal in character (either immediately or ultimately) and the heart of this interpersonal relation is the agapic ideal of reconciling love, the purpose of which is to overcome one's estrangement from himself, his neighbor, and from God.This article is a slightly revised form of his Retirement Address. He now resides at 33 Thrasher Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine 04107.     

A working theology of prison ministry

Drawing upon experiences as a prison chaplain and a state director of prison chaplaincy services, the author proposes a working theology of prison ministry. Such a theology begins with an understanding of the inherent worth of humankind as created by God in God's own image, addresses the question of hope, embodies the incarnate presence of God by being present with people in their alienation, enables the giving and receiving of forgiveness, deals with issues of power and control, and respects the diverse paths that humans take in their walk toward and with God.     

A Vajrayana Buddhist perspective on ministry training

This article about ministry training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is written from the perspective of a Vajrayana Buddhist Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) Supervisor. It presents basic concepts of the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition that apply to the training process of students in CPE and beyond. The author posits that like the Vajrayana spiritual path, ministry training is something that continues on in a person's ministry, and that ministers should attend to this process as long as they are helping others. The author presents the concept of mandala and the Five Buddha Families to illustrate a Vajrayana perspective on ministry training.     

A group ministry in the inner city

Conclusion The Group Ministry approach is an attempt at one way of facing the need for renewal of the Church in its understanding of the means of Christian commitment and witness in the world. There are many dangers in a Group Ministry. It runs the risk of becoming apower block or separation of men and women from their primary responsibility in the local church; of facingemotional strain on those who must work closely together in a group of sinners; of developing apsychic dependence on each other rather than looking to Christ as the primary source of support and unity; of becomingless efficient when more workers are placed in one small area; oflacking a sense of direction because one leader is not given responsibility and authority.Yet the Group Ministry approach takes these risks in the knowledge that the Church must work to fashion patterns by which it may again express itself with power in places where the word is scarce.For further information about the East Harlem Protestant Parish, readers may write directly to 2050 Second Avenue, New York 29, N. Y.     

Rethinking supervision of ministry

This article addresses the need for ongoing supervision in ministry and explores reasons for the avoidance of supervision. More specifically, twentieth century ideas regarding epistemology and Freud's "discovery" of the unconscious reveal important limitations in the commonly held model of supervision and at the same time provide reasons for the benefits of supervision. Further, this article proposes that individual unconscious motivations and religious institutional structures contribute to the avoidance of ongoing supervision in ministry.     

Values interpretation: A new model for hospital ministry

The importance of values in clinical settings is a topic of increasing discussion in the medical literature, but the nature of values and the process of interpreting them have received little attention. The hospital chaplain or religious professional is an underused resource in addressing values issues. This paper summarizes the current models of the hospital chaplaincy in historical context, and then develops a new model drawn from the disciplines of pastoral care and clinical medical ethics in order to address problems involving values in clinical settings. The model construes the chaplain as values interpreter who provides both consultation and liaison functions in clinical situations. We present a clinical case to illustrate the role of the values interpreter. We conclude that the religious professional can make an important contribution to both clinical decision making and medical education through such a model.The authors thank Don S. Browning, Ph.D., and Thomas H. Jobe, M.D., for their critical readings of earlier versions of this paper.     

The church's ministry to singles: A family model

The authors provide a theoretical introduction for the church's ministry to singles by reviewing the family therapy literature as it pertains to familial disengagement or enmeshment and interpersonal mutuality or isolation. Belongingness based on consanguinity must eventually be replaced by belongingness rooted in consensuality or commitment. The single person must seek such commitment outside the institution of marriage. The church can offer belongingness through establishing parity, de-emphasizing segregation, promoting inclusion, and practicing community.     

Pastoral care and miscarriage: A ministry long neglected

Ministers often are estranged from the loss experience of women who miscarry. This paper gives medical information about such spontaneous abortions, describes several factors that shape the woman's experience, and explores possible pastoral response.Swanee Hunt is a candidate for Th.D. in pastoral care and counseling at Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado. She is part of an ecumenical ministry team that serves both a Presbyterian church community and a Catholic church community.     

Internment and ministry: A dialogue with Joseph Kitagawa

This dialogue presents a profile of the late Joseph Kitagawa—a renowned scholar of the history of religions (Religionswissenschaft). It focuses on comparative religion and philosophy, as well as several other important issues related to his distinguished career as an Episcopal priest and dean of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. They are: his experience of American concentration camps during World War II; Christian atheism and new theological models; concepts of time in Oriental and Occidental faiths; depth-psychology and contemporary ministry; and Paul Tillich's significance for the pastoral counseling movement.David M. Moss, Ph.D., Th.D., is the Book Review Editor of thisjournal and the Past President of the Georgia Chapter of the American Association's Division of Psychoanalysis. The interview is part of a series that will be published in a volume entitledDialogues in Depth Psychology and Religion.     

The ministry of counseling

Conclusion Somewhere in religion there is the awareness of and reach toward a divine agency beyond the purely human, whether the divine activity is conceived to be found in Holy Scripture, or a divinely guided Church, or in the stilling of creaturely thoughts in a Friends meeting. All religion asks of psychotherapy is that God be given a chance to will and to do of his good pleasure in us. Religion may fearlessly ally itself with a therapeutic spirit in which the role of man is the humble one of providing the field of action for the Holy Spirit. The therapist is a Christ-bearer, as we are all called to be Christ-bearers in our measure, confirming the intimation of the Spirit that we are sons of God and capable of growing into his image from glory to glory.