The Skilled Pastor: Counseling As the Practice of Theology

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Summary: Counseling as the practice of theology
Review: Professor Taylor combines remarkable theological insight with equally remarkable understanding of what's needed in real-life pastoral situations: theory and practice are interwoven. Taylor's main thesis is "The way to help persons deal with their problems is to help them change the beliefs that contribute to their distressing feelings and behaviors. Thus, the goal...is to help people change through hearing and responding to the gospel." (p. 137) Taylor presents three types of pastoral skills needed to accomplish this goal, and presents information on specific techniques that undergird each skill. His underlying theology is centered on the gospel. For the student pastor trying to serve God and his/her fellow humans, Taylor's logical, step-by-step analysis of pastoral encounters and appropriate helping strategies can be invaluable. Although the book is remarkably clearly written, this is not easy material to put into practice, and you'll benefit from practice with a peer group, supervisor, or classroom teaching.