Reconstructing Pastoral Theology: A Christological Foundation Book

Purves' primary assertion, that pastoral theology and practice must turn away from the task-oriented, pseudo-psychological discipline that it has been made into and turn toward a participation in the ongoing ministry of Christ, is a welcome message. However, much of everything else he says is not nearly as helpful.

First, I find his theology terribly deficient in many places. Some examples include his assertion that Trinitarianism is a "doctrine of the church" rather than one derived from special revelation is very dangerous, indeed. At a later point in the book, he affirms Moltmann's suggestion that there was an actual division within the Godhead at the moment of Christ's death is concerning. Then there are also his apparent leanings toward monergistic universalism. Most clearly problematic (because he explains his thinking on this issue rather than making only bold statements) is his rejection of Penal Substitutionary Atonement, in favor of. . . nothing in particular. Certainly nothing that he could clearly demonstrate from the Scriptures -- instead he supported his points from the work of John Campbell McLeod. Moreover, the critiques he lays at the Westminster development of PSA demonstrated to me that he had little idea what he was writing about, given especially that he accused the Puritans of teaching doctrines that are flatly denied in their Confessions.

Second, his prose is simply not good. He is terribly repetitive, beating the reader over the head again and again with what was made perfectly clear the first time. Yet at the same time, there are many things that he actually doesn't develop very fully at all; he'll make a controversial statement, and then proceed to not back it up whatsoever. At other times (and this is a very frequent problem), he will make a statement which I thought I understood, but the more he goes on in developing an idea, the more confused I am about what he means, until finally I'm not sure what he is trying to say about anything!

Reading this book felt often like digging for jewels in a pile of excrement. Even those jewels that I did find, I wasn't sure if I could trust, because I knew where they came from. I would like very much to see this same book, with its message about our need for a thoroughly Christological theology of pastoral ministry, written by somebody else. Somebody who can write clearly, and who has a trustworthy theological background.