Loading…

Personhood and Presence: Self as a Resource for Spiritual and Pastoral Care is unavailable, but you can change that!

The purpose of this book is to enhance the quality of spiritual and pastoral care offered by ministers by fostering a reflexive caring relationship—the greatest asset for pastoral care. Offering oneself to other people in order to provide companionship along the road of life is an act which is both challenging and yet potentially life enhancing.

Unless we are aware, to some degree, of what and who we are, how much of the other are we really going to see, hear, feel or understand? Moreover, not only do we need to be cognizant of our inner landscape, we need to be reasonably comfortable with it as we seek to create a safe space with, and for, patients and parishioners to be themselves in. The Dutch pastor and spiritual guide Henri Nouwen reflects: What does hospitality as healing power require? It requires first of all that the host feel at
Page 3