More on Paul's Pastoral Theology

James Thompson's Pastoral Ministry according to Paul is full of insight on the contemporary practice of ministry. He defines pastoral ministry in terms of community formation, with a goal of the presentation before God at the end of days of a blameless church. It is a vision of Paul's theology that moves beyond justification to transformation.

For we who are pastors, Paul offers an alternative vision:

Paul's clear articulation of his pastoral ambition provides focus to the contemporary minister who struggles with a variety of expectations. His focus on community transformation is a welcome alternative to our own focus on meeting the individual needs of members of the congregation. Moreover, his call for a communal and countercultural ethic provides a missing dimension in the contemporary understanding of ministry. For Paul, all of the functions and skills of the minister fit within a pastoral theology of transformation. (p. 29).

Such a vision of ministry isn't geared to making things easier, but it gives clearer focus. We who have served congregations know the difficulty of trying to keep up with the fleeting desires of congregants, desires that pull us too and fro. When we "don't measure up" it's time to go. Thompson's Pauline vision puts the focus on calling the community forward so it becomes more Christlike.

As I read Thompson in light of the critiques of Christianity given by Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and others, I thought I found within its pages an answer to the ethical challenges to the Christian message. Christianity hasn't been found wanting because it was tried and failed, but because it has never been tried.