Pastoral care is part of Christian formation

Read Willimon and Hauerwas’s conversation and Beverly Roberts Gaventa’s response.

In their conversation about pastoral care (“Wounded by Christ,” Aug. 11), Will Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas make several clear and compelling statements to the church. They rightly lament the separation of the pastoral and prophetic. Hauerwas notes that “words like care, love, and compassion can be self-deceptive when not disciplined and driven by our theological commitments,” and Willimon rebukes pastors who are reluctant to preach against racism because they “don’t want to risk adding to [parishioners’] woundedness.” They call the church to address our society’s growing tendency toward self-absorption. And they challenge believers to accept what Willimon calls “outrageous assignments by Jesus.”

This is welcome counsel. However, the overall tone and content of the conversation falter in three particular ways.