Pastoral Counseling in a Global Church: Voices from the Field

Pastoral counseling is one of the fastest growing ministry specialties in the emerging world church. Pastoral Counseling in a Global Church vividly presents the experiences of people involved in ministry in different cultures in Asia Africa and Latin America as well as Europe and Australia. Its practical narrative-style approach complements more theoretical treatments of cross-cultural counseling. In our increasingly global and multicultural world sensitivity to the ways in which families and cultures are central to growth in Christian life is essential for pastoral counselors. This is especially true since in many cultures the pastoral ministry is the first one people turn to for help before mental health or other professionals. Those who can apply culturally-relevant and sensitive pastoral skills can provide real help to those in need: whether in a multicultural parish in North America or anywhere in the world. This book is unique as a practical how-to guide to cross-cultural pastoral counseling. As such it takes an important pastoral step toward an inculturated church. . . . Wicks and Estadt have done the global church a service in compiling these voices from the field. --Rev. Robert W. McChesney SJ Executive Secretary for International and Refugee Ministries Jesuit Conference Makes an important contribution to the small but growing literature on cross-cultural pastoral care. . . . --James N. Lapsley Darl & Helen Egner Professor of Pastoral Theology Emeritus Princeton Theological Seminary Wicks and Estadt have done us a great service in gathering voices from four continents that move us forward in the important dialogue between pastoral therapists across the global church. . . . A feast for all multi-culturally aware counselors--as we all are becoming in a world of accelerated change and exchange. --David Augsburger Fuller Theological Seminary Robert J. Wicks is Professor of Pastoral Counseling at Loyola College in Maryland. He is coeditor of Clinical Handbook of Pastoral Counseling and author of Availability: The Problem and Gift of Living Simply in an Anxious World. Barry K. Estadt is founding director of graduate programs in pastoral counseling and Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Counseling at Loyola College in Maryland. He is the editor of The Art of Clinical Supervision and author of Pastoral Counseling.