The Dialectics of Place and Pastoral Practice

Abstract This paper examines theologically how the concept of place – particularly the dialectics of place – might shape pastoral ministry of the church. It firstly surveys a body of literature that argues that the church and its pastors ought to be committed to emplacement, a politics of inhabitation (Inge; Rumsey; Berry; Kemmis; Hauerwas; Quash; Williams). Secondly, it engages other interlocutors (O’Donovan; Lacoste; Nausner; Friedman; Gill) to demonstrate that this sound emphasis on emplacement of church ministers nevertheless risks neglecting the dialectics of place: staying and leaving, roots and routes, are also crucial elements of place. Finally, the essay offers its own contribution to the literature by proposing how the concept of the dialectics of place might be better accounted for in ministry through an emphasis on pilgrimage in the pastorate that does not neglect emplacement.