The Pastor as Minor Poet: Texts and Subtexts in the Ministerial Life

Today's pastors — often expected to be multitasking marvels who can make their churches "successful" — are understandably confused about their role. Craig Barnes contends that the true calling of a pastor is to help others become fully alive in Christ, to be a "minor poet," or poet of the soul. As such, pastors are to read the major poets of Scripture and history in light of the dust and grit of daily parish life.

The Pastor as Minor Poet eloquently calls pastors to search for a deeper under...