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Religion Pastoral Resources

Working the Angles

The Shape of Pastoral Integrity

by (author) Eugene H. Peterson

Publisher
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Initial publish date
May 1989
Category
Pastoral Resources, Administration, Growth
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780802802651
    Publish Date
    May 1989
    List Price
    $27.99

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

American pastors, says Eugene Peterson, are abandoning their posts at an alarming rate. They are not leaving their churches and getting other jobs. Instead, they have become "a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches." Pastors and the communities they serve have become preoccupied with image and standing, with administration, measurable success, sociological impact, and economic viability.

In Working the Angles, Peterson calls the attention of his fellow pastors to three basic acts--which he sees as the three angles of a triangle--that are so critical to the pastoral ministry that they determine the shape of everything else. The acts--prayer, reading Scripture, and giving spiritual direction--are acts of attention to God in three different contexts: oneself, the community of faith, and another person. Only by being attentive to these three critical acts, says Peterson, can pastors fulfill their prime responsibility of keeping the religious community attentive to God.

Written out of the author's own experience as pastor of a "single pastor church," this well-written, provocative book will be stimulating reading for lay Christians and pastors alike.

About the author

Eugene H. Peterson (1932–2018) was a longtime pastor and professor of spiritual theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. His many acclaimed books include Tell It Slant, The Jesus Way, Eat This Book, and the contemporary translation of the Bible titled The Message.

Eugene H. Peterson's profile page

Editorial Reviews

St. Anthony Messenger
"This excellent treatise on the rediscovery of the authentic purpose of true pastoral care deserves attention, dialogue and action."