Pastoral Care and Liberation Theology

by Stephen Pattison

Overview

Pastoral care in the Northern hemisphere has focused traditionally on the well-being of individuals, and has tended to ignore the social order of which they are a part. In this pioneering book, Stephen Pattison draws on the methods and insights of Latin American liberation theology in order to challenge such narrow individualism, which is blind to matters of inequality and injustice that engender and perpetuate avoidable human suffering. A new vision of socially and politically aware pastoral care is presented as central to developing human potential.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521418225
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/10/1994
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Ideology and Religion , #5
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	5.55(w) x 8.74(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Stephen Pattison is Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Practice and H. G. Wood Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham. His latest books are The Challenge of Practical Theology (2007), Seeing Things: Deepening Relations with Visual Artefacts (2007) and Saving Face: Enfacement, Shame, Theology (2013).

Table of Contents

General editors' Preface; Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction: The challenge of liberation theology; PART 1 - LIBERATION THEOLOGY; 1. The background to liberation theology; 2. The nature and content of liberation theology; 3. The methods of liberation theology; 4. Putting liberation theology to work; PART 2 - THE SOCO-POLITICAL CONTEXT OF PASTORAL CARE; 5. The socio-political context of mental disorder; 6. Who becomes mentally ill?; 7. The historical and social context of the psychiatric hospital; 8. The socio-political order of the psychiatric hospital: the staff; 9. The socio-political order of the psychiatric hospital: the patients; 10. The 'brave new world' of community care; 11. The plight of mentally ill people; PART 3 - THE POLITICS OF PASTORAL CARE; 12. Pastoral care with mentally ill people; 13. Socio-political awareness and commitment; 14. Unction in the function: pastoral care in socio-political perspective; 15. Liberating pastoral care; 16. What is to be done? Towards a socio-politically aware and committed pastoral care; 17. Bringing it all back home? Pastoral care with women; conclusion; Notes; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Stephen Pattison has performed an important task by raising so sharply important issues for all engaged in pastorcal care, issues which will not go away. This is a book to be read and discussed." —Theology

"Pattison's writing is compelling and must be taken seriously, especially as pastoral care and counseling and pastoral theology are struggling to refashion themselves in the light of social and political realities." Journal of Religion

"Pattison has written a strong volume which illustrates the validity of one of the major types of practical theology. His work deserves to be studied by all practical theologians in hopes that the work of the rest of us will begin to approach his level of competence." James Poling, International Journal of Practical Theology

From the Publisher