DE GRUYTER IJPT 2015;237‫(و‬1)‫ ذ‬235‫־‬

Carrie Doehrlng, The Practice of Pastoral Care: A Postmodern Approach)

Revised and Expanded Edition, Louisville Westminster John Knox Press) 2015,
223 pp, ISBN 978$30.00 ,7‫־‬0‫־‬664‫־‬23840‫־‬.

Reviewed by Hee-Kyu Heidi Park, Ph.o.î Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, USA,
Email: hee.kyu.park@cst.edu

DO! 10.1515/ijpt0018‫־‬2015‫־‬

In this newly revised edition, Carrie Doehring beautifirlly weaves together her
pastoral wisdom grounded both in her teachings and clinical work with dialogues
and researches from the most current scholarship with clear conceptual frame-
work. The first edition of this book has already been an invaluable introductory
text in pastoral care and counseling, but this edition takes it to another level‫ ؛‬it
braids extensive range of voices which necessitated a well-defined conceptualiza-
tion of the overall framework, which she elegantly accomplishes through a
narrative approach with intercultural commitment, locating it firmly in the con-
textual paradigm of postoodem pastoral theology.
HowDoehring structures this workis brilliant. Her narrative approach proWdes
not only the frame for the conceptualization ofthe practice ofpastoral care but also
for the structure of the book. Because pastoral care begins with “stepping respect-
fully and compassionately into another's narrative world (xvii)” and develops “by
mingling the care seeker’s and caregiver’s narrative world generates an intersub-
jective space for meaning making (xWi),” such meaning making through narrative
approach is a comprehensive task that involves the relationship and reflexivity of
both caregiver and care seeker. Starting with the therapeutic goal of pastoral care
as intermingling ofintegrationandliberation (Introduction), the author structures
the chapters according to the necessary steps in pastoral care‫ ؛‬after a chapter on
trust and theological accountability (chapter 1), she lays out the basic ingredient of
careghting relationships such as empathy, compassion, understanding of power
dynamics and jarring moments, and self reflexhrity (chapter 2). Then a chapter on
listening skills (chapter 3) and one on ethical boundary requfred in caregiving
relationship (chapter 4) follow. These practical chapters, supported by immacu-
lately researched current literature, gives the much-needed description of the
practice ofpastoral care. This leads to the meaning-making process ofreflectingon
the themes of the narratives‫ ؛‬theological themes (chapter 5), themes of loss, vio-
lence, and coping (chapter 6), and systemic themes (chapter 7). Such thematic
examination function as the assessment process in the pastoral care that leads to
the final chapter on planning care‫ ؛‬liberative spiritual integration that oversews
the therapeutic processofpastoralcare(chapter 8).
236 — Book Reviews DE GRUYTER

Intercultural approach provides the interpretive lens to each step of the

practice of pastoral care. In fact, the intersubjecthrity that happens where the
narratives of the caregiver and care seeker meets, is the very definition of inter-
culturality:
I use the term intercultural to describe pastoral and spiritual care as a cocreative process of
intemingling stories and lives. This generative process changes care seekers and caregivers,
as well as their relationships, families, communities, cultures and even, as I believe, God. As
these interconnected systems change the ripple effects continue, moving back and forth. In
other words, change is not unidirectional, from our inner worlds out to relationships,
fomilies, communities and beyond. The preposition, “inter” in the term intercultural con-
veys the intermingling effects of change that move back and forth across relational webs,
when caregivers respect care seekers and care seekers in turn trust caregivers (xix).

Practically, this intermingling happens through a rigorous self-reflexivity invol-

١ring examination of beliefe, values and spiritual practices in light of classism,
sexism, racism and various prejudices against the experience, which she de-
scribes through case studies and examines in depth. There are helpfiri diagrams,
charts, exercises and a glossary that serve as excellent teaching material.
I have much appreciation for the chapter on theological reflection. Spiritual
integration, the core process of pastoral care, is an elusive concept, needing a
solid process of theological reflection. The concept of deliberative and embedded
theology along with the theolo^ of broken symbols from the first edition already
provided very helpfiri framework for buflding theological reflection in pastoral
care practice, but here, she builds on these basic concepts an expansive and
layered description of such process, providing tools to reflect on the complexity
of the lived experience of the care seeker in depth. I have used the first edition’s
chapter on theological reflection to help students start a theologically reflective
conversation on caregiving situations, and the new edition provides even better
resource for such moments.
The narrative approach of this work may need to be distinguished from the
techniques of narrative therapy, which like the narrative approach stresses
cocreation of meaning with the care seeker but also find the source of such
creative strength in past successes and resilience that sustained the care seeker’s
life with less problem-centered conceptualization. Doehring’s conceptualization
of life-giving theology construction includes processes of finding the care-see-
ker’s life-giving resources, but they are not given obvious focus. Focus on thefr
resources would have been more upfront Wth less problem-centered approach,
if the narrative therapy was foundational to the construction of the narrative
approach.
This reader’s concern for problem-centered assessment is related to the fact
that the intercultural approach necessitated the case studies to feature mostly
DE GRUYTER Book Reviews 237

ηοη-Westem persons as the care seekers. Such intercultural encounters provide

rich context for analysis, which author does with insight and sensitivity. Probably
due to the less extensive availability of scholarship by minority scholars, those
insights were mostly drawn from perspectives of Western scholarship thus ren-
dering a Western interpretation on the non-Western life. The problem-centered
assessment approach then may pose the danger of locating the positive changes
only in the therapeutic relationship where cocreation of narratives happen, aided
by perspectives the caregiver brings. Given the power differential in the caregiv-
ing relationship, I wish I had seen care seeker’s agency, resilience, strength, past
successes and resources from their own culture featured more prominentiy as
elements to be assessed along with problem-centered assessment of loss, violence
and problematic copings to prevent coloring care seeker’s lffe and culture prior to
pastoral care moment as problem only.
This book needs to be part of the library of any pastoral theologian and
pastoral caregiver. For those entering the field of pastoral theolo^, this is an
excellent introductory text that provides an up-to date overview of how the
practice of pastoral care is done in postmodern climate‫ ؛‬it is a wonderfirl starting
point to conceptualize the contour of the field of pastoral theology. For practical
and pastoral theological scholars and teachers, this work maps out the various
lines of current dialogue within the field, which is beautifully morphed into
teachable material. With an expansive scope of literature, this book can serve as a
hub for researches in pastoral care, a good starting point to explore subjects in
pastoral theology and to find new dialogical partners for practical theological
conversations.
 YXcewse Äwd Ve٣m١ss\b\e Vise UcAXce

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