Care of Souls, Care of Polis: Toward a Political Pastoral Theology
Ebook
Overview
In the fields of pastoral care and pastoral theology, there are times when a book signals a paradigm shift. This is one such book. LaMothe develops a political pastoral theology that is used to examine critically political, economic, and societal structures and practices. In the first part of the book, LaMothe argues that care and pastoral care are political concepts, which, along with the notion of justice, can be used as a hermeneutical framework to assess macropolitical and macroeconomic realities. Included in this section is the notion of civil and redemptive discourse, necessary for the survival and flourishing of persons and polis. The last section of the book examines U.S. Empire, capitalism, class, classism, and other pressing political issues using the hermeneutical lens of care.
“This is a landmark volume for pastoral
theology. LaMothe explores issues long neglected in this field,
such as U.S. imperialism, neoliberal capitalism, and class struggle
. . . The result is a thorough revisioning of pastoral theology and
care. This is an indispensable resource for leaders of religious
congregations, theological educators, and all those engaged in
caring for our shared life in such troubling
times.”
—Bruce Rogers-Vaughn, author
of Caring for Souls in a Neoliberal
Age
“Care is a dynamic reality and a
political act. LaMothe’s bold pastoral wisdom weaves a political
theology around the intersections of privilege, power, gender,
identity, labor, race, and class. Care
of Souls, Care of Polis invites the reader
to think politically about care and pastorally about
politics.”
— Jaco J. Hamman, author of
A Play-full Life
“Care of
Souls, Care of Polis issues a clarion call
for pastoral theologians, ministers, and churches to attend to
unrelenting devastation unleashed by forces of neoliberal
capitalism—a worldview measuring the worth of persons solely in
economic terms—on the souls and psyches of individuals, families,
and communities in the United States and around the globe. Ryan
LaMothe is a rare and perfect guide for this perilous journey,
fully expert both in the literature and practices of pastoral care
and in nuances of economic and political theory. What emerges is a
‘redemptive discourse’ that subverts uncivil political speech and
offers hope for renewed flourishing in human
relationships.”
—Robert C. Dykstra, editor of
Images of Pastoral Care: Classic
Readings
“Ryan LaMothe is one of the most creative pastoral theologians of
our time. For the past couple of decades . . . he has been engaging
psychoanalysis, politics, theology, and economics to inquire
critically into the polices and the practices of the United States,
especially as related to the demonic effects of imperialism and
capitalism.”
—Nathan Carlin, co-author of 100 Years of
Happiness
Product Details
- Title : Care of Souls, Care of Polis: Toward a Political Pastoral Theology
- Author: LaMothe, Ryan
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Publication Date: 2017
- ISBN: 9781498205221
Ryan LaMothe is Professor Pastoral Care and Counseling in Saint
Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. He is the author of five
books, his most recent being Prisms of Faith (coeditor,
2016) and Missing Us (2013). He has authored numerous other
scholarly publications in the areas of psychology of religion,
psychoanalysis, and politics.