Images of Pastoral Care
"Dykstra, who is among the most imaginative pastoral theologians today, invites us to imagine, with him and others, what caring ministries require and what caring ministers may do. Bringing together in one volume discussions of various metaphors for ministry, including those proposed by pioneers and present-day shapers of pastoral theology, this unique and superb book provides not only a typology of approaches but also current trajectories for an aspect of ministry that remains fluid and open-ended. Dykstra's gifts for synthesis and clarity shine in introductions to chapters on others' metaphors, and he demonstrates his own capacity for imagination by adding to the mix the metaphor of 'The Intimate Stranger.' Wishing this important book had been available when I was a student seeking to take in both the landscapes and possibilities of caring ministries, I look forward to imagining with my students in new ways!"  Allan Hugh Cole, Jr., Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary