Book Review: A Mature Faith: Spiritual Direction and Anthropology in a Theology of Pastoral Care and Counseling

Abstract

A Mature Faith: Spiritual Direction and Anthropology in a Theology of Pastoral Care and Counseling. DanielJ. Louw (Louvain: Peeters Press, 1999). 312pp. $30. (paper). Both author and reader struggle through two millennia of Christianity's most basic theological questions in a long three hundred pages on the journey of A Mature Faith. Remarkable is the depth and fresh insigh t the author gives these questions in dialogue with the tipped over world of the postmodern age. Less remarkable is the length, and at tim es undisciplined writing, in which he frames this dialogue in an attempt to put thi s world right side up, theologically speaking. Daniel J. Louw indicates that he is writing for pastors who sit down with their parishioners in th e context of a pastoral care relationship attempting "to link life issues to an understanding of God." He is caIling for a major paradigm shift in pastoral care from "the traditional 'sou l care ' to a much broader undertaking: ' faith care within the contextuali ty of life care '" (p.l) . The former approach segments the human person and her or his spiritual life ; th e latter reflects a "therapy of wholeness," a concept that he borrows from Howard Clinebell in an attempt to make all of life the domain of the spiritual (p. 32). This shift demands the development of a new anthro pology, especially within the context of our po stmodern world. An anthropology, in the con text of faith , necessitates a theology at its center. Thus the author opens up all th e theological questions over the centuries that focus on th e nature and relationship of God to and with human beings. And in doing so Louw initiates an amazing sweep of questions in a thorough examination of pastoral care and the related issues in Christology, soteriology, eschatology, ecclesiology, and ethics. At the core of Louw's analysis is his basic assumption that pastoral care has be en pulled between the polarities of "theological reduction"-human beings basic problem is sin-and "psychological reduction"-human beings basic problem is "blocked inner potentialities" (p. 5). This theological reduction results in a "pessimistic anthropology" which he contends emerged from the Reformed tradition, while this psychological reduction leads to an "optimistic anthropology" which he believes comes out of the inflated claims of co ntemporary psych ology. His goal then is to bring both together in a "realistic anthropology" (p. 95) where God can be God and the human can be human, each and both in rightful relationship. The author divides his work into three chapters with scores of sub-sections and sub-headings . Th e first chapter outlines what he postulates are th e two mainstream traditions of pastoral care (corresponding to the pessimistic and optimistic views mentioned above) . He names these two the "kerygmatic model" and the "clien tcentered model" (pp. 28ff.) . Louw outlines the characteristics of each model ending up with a summary diagram of the underlying anthropology, method, therapy, and effect (pp. 43-44). He then moves to the task of bringing the two together in what he calls a "convergence model" (p. 27) in a new theological anthropology. The second ch apter is th e heart of Louw 's project in the development of an understanding of pneumatology in this convergence model. With theological precision he outlines a clear understanding of how he develops a pneumatology (ro le of the Spirit) leading up to the integration of theology and psychology in what he calls a psycho-pastoral model for a theological anthropology. Paraphrasing Descartes' famous dictum, Louw puts forth his own at the center of his anthropological view: "Respondeo ergo sum" (I am a responsible/responding being) (p . 232). The final and smallest section of the book is the ap plication of this anthropology in a focus on spiritual direction in the pastoral relationship leading to a mature faith, specifically in the work of assessing images of God. Louw sets out to accom-