Description

Clergy play an important role in the spiritual wellbeing of their congregation. They are entrusted by the Great Shepherd to shepherd his flock which entails leading them to green pastures and still waters, for example, pastoral care, and defending them from predatory animals, for example, heresy. However, clergy are sheep before they are shepherds and are also in need of the green pastures and still waters of meditation, prayer, fasting, and Bible study. These are known as inward spiritual disciplines (exercises) and have been practiced for centuries. Spiritual Practices of South African Clergy: State of the Clergy discusses these inward spiritual disciplines’ mental, physical, spiritual and social benefits. The volume explores how clergy from five diverse denominations practice these specific inward spiritual disciplines. They include the Methodist, Netherdutch, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic faith traditions. This book focuses on clergy in the Global South and how they practice these spiritual disciplines within their context. Clergy, congregants, academics and lay-persons alike will benefit from the research conducted.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Clergy, Luke 25:2, and the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Model, Shaun Joynt
Chapter 1: Clergy, Spiritual Practices and Their Benefits, Shaun Joynt
Chapter 2: A Wesleyan-Methodist Perspective and Practice of Spiritual Disciplines, Derek L. Oppenshaw
Chapter 3: Spiritual Practices in the Nederdutch Reformed Church of Africa, Annelie Botha
Chapter 4: Pastors of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa and Spiritual Disciplines: An Empirical Study, Marius Nel
Chapter 5: The State of the Clergy in South Africa: The Presbyterian Tradition, Graham Alexander Duncan
Chapter 6: The Spiritual Life of South African Catholic Clergy, Anthony Egan
Chapter 7: Findings and Recommendations, Shaun Joynt

Product details

Published Jan 29 2025
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 218
ISBN 9781666922370
Imprint Lexington Books
Illustrations 43 Tables
Dimensions 229 x 152 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Shaun Joynt

Contributor

Annelie Botha

Contributor

Anthony Egan

Contributor

Shaun Joynt

Contributor

Marius Nel

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