Pastoral Studies

Este é um manifesto  sobre a participação e experiência religiosa de jovens, católicos/católicxs, LGBTQUIA+ no interior das comunidades religiosas católicas. Trata-se de reivindicar um lugar  para as juventudes LGBTQIA+  no âmbito da experiência religiosa, que são, dentro da Igreja Católica, percebidos e construídos como “sujeitos desviantes”.O manifesto toma como marco os estudos de gênero, as práticas e experiências pastorais no contexto do Sínodo das Juventudes convocado pelo Papa Francisco, em 2016, e seu instrumentum laboris.

* Este manifesto compôs a comunicação apresentada pelo autor no “III Simpósio Nacional Aproximações com o mundo juvenil”, sobre a análise da trajetória de jovens lgbtquia+, em comunidades religiosas periféricas”, cujos resultados da pesquisa serão apresentados em artigo.

Partiendo del principio protestante del "sacerdocio de todos los creyentes", que propuso Lutero , se plantean las implicaciones teológicas y eclesiales de este "sacerdocio universal", como la confesión de la "sanctorum communio". Se hace una intersección con la salud mental, en cuanto la comunidad cristiana responde, desde una ética del dolor, a las experiencias de sufrimiento psíquico. Se plantean las miradas de comprensión de dicho sufrimiento desde la psicopatología y los abordajes psicoterapéuticos, así como se plantean las formas de intervención desde las comunidades de fe para el crecimiento y la curación.

El cumplimiento de las profecías bíblicas a la luz de nuestros
ojos y al cada vez más cerca eminente regreso de nuestro Señor y Salvador, Jesucristo, nos ha llevado a escudriñar y estudiar el tema de las "Vestiduras Blancas" mencionadas en las Sagradas Escrituras. Hacemos un esfuerzo para que los creyentes puedan comprender la importancia de las "Vestiduras Blancas" y la necesidad de las mismas para participar en el rapto de la iglesia de Jesucristo, cuando suene la trompeta. Este tema es de gran importancia en estos tiempos finales donde la apostasía está entrando a la iglesia en un gran número de formas. El propósito de este escrito es el de inquietar la conciencia de los creyentes para que evalúen su condición espiritual y se preparen para que les sea concedido el vestirse de blanco para el evento de las bodas del cordero. Para beneficio del lector, el autor esclarece y enfatiza que el escrito está hecho desde un punto de vista bíblico
y con una interpretación escatológica premileniar.

Help and relief in the body, comfort and consolation in the spirit means, pay attention to the whole person of the patient, in his global reality, realizing not only of all its physical, psychological, relational, social and spiritual. The partner wild with pleasure to learn in order to be close to the sick, to be able to offer them a' presence of love and competent service. It is important for every person to know what are the motives of the act while carrying out a visit, which is a true' therapeutic ministry. Aware that, by the patient is not going to spend a bit 'of time, let alone to vent on him our problems and our concerns: in fact, already has enough and not add more. All the sick wherever they are, living situations of suffering, still await a visit from the aid, relief, comfort and consolation, in body and in spirit.

United Methodist pastors often serve under attacks from bullying congregations that affect their health, performance, and confidence in their calling. It is important to explore the phenomenon of pastor bullying in comparison with and in contrast to workplace bullying by examining sociological and scientific findings. This thesis seeks to determine the cause of bullying behavior by examining Walter Wink’s theology of evil, the theology of systemic sin, and to explore the dynamic between ecclesiology, personal responsibility, and collective leadership. Further, the author will examine Fr. Richard Rohr’s spirituality of the second half of life and Barbara Brown Taylor’s alternative to full solar spirituality to help United Methodist pastors heal and forgive.
The sin of pastor bullying is systemic. Therefore, United Methodist pastors are encouraged and make a personal commitment to working collectively with laity on changing the mindsets from “I” to “WE,” helping congregations grieve individually and as a community. Thus, both pastor and congregation could confess any known sins that were committed individually and collectively to be able to begin growing in personal and social holiness through practicing Wesley’s Do No Harm principle through love and forgiveness.

Sports ministry can be defined as: seeking to glorify God in sport, thereby extending His Kingdom through sport. As sports ministry is a relatively new phenomenon in South Africa, it has received very little academic attention from theologians. In particular, there has been limited empirical research into the effectiveness of sports ministry leadership. The premise of this research is that the future strengthening and growth of sustainable sports ministry in South Africa is dependent upon equipping leaders with a foundation that will provide them with a strong scriptural and theological basis for ministry. The primary question that this research is therefore seeking to address is, how can leaders be equipped to implement effective and sustainable sports ministry in South African churches and communities?

This study answers this question through following Osmer’s (2008) four tasks of theological interpretation. Through empirical research, the study describes how sports ministry leaders have been trained and equipped theologically and practically to implement sports ministry in the South African context. By way of a literature survey, interpretation is given to the situation facing sports ministry leaders through considering how the historical, socio-cultural, and leadership context in South Africa has shaped and influenced the current practice of sports ministry. The study presents an exegesis of five passages of Scripture resulting in the formulation of a Scriptural Manifesto, which, in turn, is then applied to evaluate six theological paradigms that influence sports ministry leaders. 

Finally, the culmination of the research proposes the PROXIMITY model, which makes a valuable contribution to the field of research by providing a robust scriptural, theological and practical foundation for the equipping of leaders for effective and sustainable sports ministry in the South African context. The PROXIMITY model is an acrostic, which aptly describes the nine contributions that sport ministry leaders should make in this regard, namely, their role should be Prophetic, Reconciliatory, Open-Hearted, and eXemplary; their approach should be Incarnational, Missional, and Integrational; and their focus should be Transformational and Youth-focused. The PROXIMITY model can typically be used to strengthen sports ministry leaders in their engagement with the church, communities, and the culture of sport in South Africa.

En este trabajo se estudia la visión humanitaria subyacente a la actividad pastoral del Instituto Misionero de la Consolata, una congregación católica activa en los departamentos de Caquetá y Putumayo, en Colombia. A partir de un trabajo etnográfico e histórico previo, se detallan las actividades de desarrollo y humanitarias únicas de los misioneros de la congregación, y su característico modus operandi. Lejos de estar interesados únicamente en la evangelización religiosa, los religiosos del IMC priorizaron la acción humanitaria y su función de desarrollo en la región, mediante la construcción de escuelas, el establecimiento de administraciones locales, el apoyo al desarrollo económico y la participación directa en las negociaciones de treguas, intercambios de prisioneros y devolución de cadáveres con los grupos armados. Los datos obtenidos en el marco de la investigación demuestran que el apoyo que pudieron obtener de la población y de las víctimas del conflicto se debía al abierto rechazo que los misioneros del IMC manifestaron frente a la noción de neutralidad en favor del compromiso con las personas marginadas y el apoyo de éstas.

Niederschwellige Gottesdienst finden verstärkt Beachtung. Was sind niederschwellige Gottesdienste? Welche Zielgruppen werden angesprochen? Welche Möglichkeiten gibt es in diesem pastoralliturgischen Bereich.

Ritendiakonie, Gastfreundschaft, Liturgie, Gottesdienste für Fernstehende,

Kluger, Florian:
„Offene Türen, niedrige Schwellen“ – Niederschwellige Gottesdienste als Gottesdienste mit Gästen.
In: Fuchs, Guido (Hrsg.): Gastlichkeit : ihre Theologie, Spiritualität und Praxis im Gottesdienst. - Regensburg : Pustet, 2012. - S. 75-83
ISBN 978-3-7917-2437-9

Referring to the pastoral program for the Church in Poland in 2017- 2019, an analysis of the publication of the pastoral committee of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for pneumatology was carried out. It was demonstrated that the pastoral program primarily focused on the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life and mission of Jesus Christ in order to show the saving influence of the Spirit on the human being. Also, the accurate presentation of the salvific activity of the Holy Spirit in the community of God’s people should be appreciated, especially in the sacraments (with special regard to baptism and confirmation) and in charisms. However, the publication in question results in some overemphasis on the flattering approach to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the depiction of the discernment of spirits. Moreover, the discussion of temptations and criteria for their discernment, although interesting, is not fully developed in view of the difficulties resulting from the inability to precisely distinguish, in charisms, between what man produces and what is the work of the Spirit that surpasses all cognitive abilities. Therefore, apart from pointing out external and internal threats, the program lacks bold references to increasing, far-reaching threats that not only weaken faith, but are also dangerous to the very existence of man, and thus may even lead to his diabolical destruction. Finally, there are few references in the program to such important aspects of pneumatology such as: the role of the Spirit in Mary’s maternal mission, the pursuit of Christian unity, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and the realization of the kingdom of God until its final fulfilment in the Parousia.

Les paroisses des quartiers populaires seraient-elles en train de vivre quelque chose comme une nouvelle Pentecôte? Dans la banlieue parisienne notamment, les assemblées sont souvent hautes en couleur ; elles rassemblent des personnes d'horizons et d'âges très différents. Cela peut-il changer le visage de l'Eglise de France ?

La parrocchia è sempre stata un luogo privilegiato di educazione. E più precisamente di educazione ai rapporti fraterni e quindi anche alla pace. Essa, secondo il dettato conciliare, "offre un luminoso esempio di apostolato comunitario, fondendo insieme tutte le differenze umane che vi si trovano e inserendole nell'universalità della Chiesa" (AA 10: EV 1/950). È proprio questa comunione di differenze che dà alla parrocchia la possibilità di proporsi come vera scuola di pace. La parrocchia sviluppa questo processo educativo su tre coordinate: una pace celebrata nella liturgia, approfondita e appresa nella catechesi, esercitata e vissuta nella carità.

Uvodna reč u zvaničnom glasilu Hrišćanske adventističke crkve

"Nije mudro planirati budućnost misleći da imamo potpunu kontrolu nad svojim životom. Suludo je izostavljati Boga iz svojih planova. Svjesnost o našoj krhkosti i prolaznosti čini da se lakše suočimo i prebrodimo teške lične trenutke kao i globalne probleme."

From the introduction:
Herding communities in Africa (or elsewhere for that matter) take up a ‘special’ place in modernist imagery. The object of both disgust and desire, they were confined to the outskirts of the colonial land- and mindscape, challenging as they did the racial categories of evolutionism and – perhaps more importantly – the colonial institution and exercise of power. Nowadays, too, they can be regarded as living at the fringes of the contemporary nation-state: modernist discourse, quite literally, ‘has no place’ for herders and nomads. But it is precisely this in-betweeness that also accounts for the fascination they exert on adventurers, explorers, colonial officials and – today – activists, anthropologists and tourists. They are perceived by many a postcolonial administration as hindrances on the way to national development, or – ironically – as tokens of the colonial structures of power and representation. But they also represent an important source of income, if only in terms of the visitors they attract from abroad. In this sense, herders and nomads embody the ambivalence experienced in the postcolony towards the former colonizer: ideological resentment on the one hand and continuing dependency on the other.
Most postcolonial governments have adopted the colonizer’s attitude towards the people in the borderlands, perceiving them not only as ‘naturally conservative’ (Malan 1995: 85) but as ‘irrational’ too, reluctant to part from their animals (sharing a deeply rooted ‘love’ for them instead, see Herskovitz 1926) or to inscribe themselves in the project of nation building and national development.
For the sake of clarity it should be stressed that ‘pastoralism’ and ‘nomadism’ are two distinct qualities. Firstly, not all livestock keepers lead a nomadic life (in fact, one finds most animals among sedentaries, see Galaty & Bonte 1991: 7). And secondly, they come in degrees and in a wide range of variations. ‘Pure’ pastoralism does not exist (see below), and nomadism is not a disposition, but a strategy of anticipating and coping with social relations and ecological circumstance. This prompts us, as this introduction will argue, to focus on change and becoming, rather than on idealized states. If one characteristic were to be attributed to nomads, it would be their tremendous flexibility and ability to incorporate change.

Introduces documentation and learning about organizational consultation in Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago over a nine-year Sustaining Pastoral Excellence project. When applying resources of  organizational development (OD) and related processes, critical first steps include consideration of content, flow, and cultural adaptions, such as introducing spirituality of the pastoral leader and pastoral team as gateway learning that grounds development of skilled practices of collaborative  pastoral leadership.
Related papers from the project may be accessed at: http://www.luc.edu/ips/academics/parishleadershipandmanagementprograms/educationandtraining/inspiremilestoneconference/milestoneconferencereports/