Abstract

The meaning of pastoral care in modern multicultural societies is challenged and reexamined from a pluralistic, global perspective in this book. Emmanuel Lartey stresses the importance of recognizing different cultural influences on individuals in order to effectively counsel, guide and empower them. He provides a clear and concise history of pastoral care and considers its relationship to different models of counseling and spirituality.

This new edition has been updated to reflect postmodern and postcolonial studies and provides illustrations of how an intercultural approach can work in practice. Theological teachers and students will welcome its return as an indispensable introduction to the field of pastoral care. In Living Color is an essential source of inspiration to leaders from any religious stream who wish to provide pastoral care in a way that reflects their community's cultural diversity. This book is also a useful resource for practitioners in a wider range of caring contexts who work in multicultural environments.

`His work provides a cognitive framework for engaging persons from a variety of backgrounds in creating community. My students found his book readable, challenging and engaging.'
Alice McNair, Hood Theological Seminary, Salisbury,
`In this second edition of In Living Color Emmanuel Lartey offers a critical introduction to the practice and study of pastoral care and counseling in a pluristic ,postcolonial and postmodern world context.Writing from a global perspective, he is aware that in contemporary society and ministry offering pastoral care of any kind needs to takeaccount of the multi-ulturalism found in communities and in congreagations. Consequently the discussion and examples throughout the book are informed at every point by experiences, thoughts and perspectives from different cultures and with particular emphasis, reflecting his own knowledge and experience, on continental Africa, diasporan-African, British and American societies. It is an eminently readable book in which there is a masterly balance of the major themes. These include a comprehensive yet succinct overview of history of pastoral care, an exploration of the functions and resources of pastoral care, and a discussion concerning counseling as pastoral care…Lartey's new perspectives on pastoral care are compelling and challenging and need to be taken seriously.'
Epworth Review (Methodist Publishing House)
`…moves beyond established paradigms of pastoral care as something which is done by ordained, white, middle-class males, and seeks to radically challenge contemporary understandings of what pastoral care is and who should be doing it.'
Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Care

Reviews of the first edition:

`...a wonderful balance of the major themes, as well as the developing trends, within pastoral theology.

Lee H. Butler, Chicago Theological Seminary
`An interesting broad overview of pastoral care…At a time when we are seeing great interest in the development of spiritual care in the healthcare setting this book challenges us to be aware of the diversity of tradition and development throughout the world and to reflect on our own pracice as we work in a pluralist setting.'
Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy
`It is not only an excellent exposition of the current state of pastoral care and counseling and of the relationship of the one to the other but it also offers a global perspective and, in itself, is an intercultural text of some significance… This book is a minefield of information and, like a minefield it will take courage for some to step into it. If you can cope with the challenges that it poses the effort is wellworth it and will bring rewards that may even result in a significant development of understanding as well as a change in behaviour.'
HCPJ
Emmanuel Lartey is President of the International Council on Pastoral Care and Counseling and Professor of Pastoral Theology and Care at Columbia Theological Seminary, Georgia, USA. He was formerly Senior Lecturer at Birmingham University, UK and has taught at Trinity Theological Seminary in his home country of Ghana.
`Dr Lartey's book is an important one in that it approaches pastoral care from a global perspective. In contemporary society and ministry, pastoral care providers need to be prepared for the pluralism and multiculturalism found in communities and congregations. Dr Lartey's work provides a framework for understanding the pastoral role and caring function from that vantage point. There are few resources that provide the intercultural perspective.'
Teresa Snorton, Executive Director, Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Decatur

Review of 2nd Edition

`This second and updated edition of Emmnuel Lartey's influential book will be welcomed by pastoral care providers, teachers, and students alike. Lartey further develops his intercultural approach to pastoral care out-lined in the first edition and also considers the impact of post-modernism and post-colonialism on the complex, pluralistic global context in which pastoral care is provided. In doing so, his creative challenge to prevalent Western `norms' about who provides pastoral care and how is further enhanced.'

Studies in World Christianity: The Edinburgh Review of Theology and Religion
`A lucid and succinct overview of pastoral foundations is applied to the intercultural realities of social life with clarity and penetrating insight… The ideal text for teaching pastoral care to health sciences students.'
Bruce Rumbold, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia