Every church congregation encounters challenging situations, some the same the world over, and others specific to each church. Richard Osmer here seeks to teach congregational leaders -- including, bu
Every church congregation encounters challenging situations, some the same the world over, and others specific to each church. Richard Osmer here seeks to teach congregational leaders -- including, but not limited to, clergy -- the requisite knowledge and skills to meet such situations with sensitivity and creativity.
Osmer develops a framework for practical theological interpretation in congregations by focusing on four key questions: What is going on in a given context? Why is this going on? What ought to be going on? and How might the leader shape the context to better embody Christian witness and mission?
The book is unique in its attention to interdisciplinary issues and the ways that theological reflection is grounded in the spirituality of leaders. Useful, accessible, and lively -- with lots of specific examples and case studies -- Osmer‘s Practical Theology effectively equips congregational leaders to guide their communities with theological integrity.
Academy of Parish Clergy, Top 10 Books for Parish Ministry (2008)
Friedrich Schweitzer
— University of Tübingen
"This is exactly what we have been waiting for — a rich but succinct introduction to practical theology, close to everyday life, full of helpful examples, and with many illuminating case studies from different fields of ministerial work. A true gift to all students of theology and to ministers!"
Sharon Daloz Parks
— author of Leadership Can Be Taught
"Grounded in the practical, with a scholar's feel for the theoretical, Rick Osmer illumines a path by which we can and must become both faithful theologians and competent pastors in the midst of today's complex congregations. This book will richly inform the new minister and renew the more seasoned pastor, while challenging the assumptions of theological education — too long held hostage to the false distinction between practical and ‘impractical' theology."
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Richard R. Osmer is Princeton Theological Seminary's Ralph B. and Helen S. Ashenfelter Professor of Mission and Evangelism. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he chairs the Committee to Write New Catechisms for the Presbyterian Church (USA). His other books include Practical Theology: An Introduction, The Teaching Ministry of Congregations, and Religious Education between Modernization and Globalization.
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