Pastoral Theology

Definition and Meaning

Pastoral theology (Korean mokhoe sinhak) is the field that studies pastoral ministry theologically. Pastoral ministry is the work of teaching, caring for, and leading church members, much as a shepherd tends a flock. The field is classified as a branch of practical theology and addresses the duties of the pastor, such as preaching, pastoral visitation, counseling, administering the sacraments, and church administration. A distinction is sometimes drawn between "pastoralia" (mokhoehak), the discipline concerned with concrete methods and skills, and "pastoral theology" (mokhoe sinhak), the discipline that reflects theologically on pastoral ministry. In Korea, however, the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Biblical and Historical Background

Scripture uses the image of a shepherd to portray both God and the leaders of His people. Passages frequently cited as a basis for pastoral theology include the following:

• Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34
• John 10, which speaks of the Good Shepherd
• John 21:15–17, where Jesus tells Peter, "Feed my sheep"
• 1 Peter 5:2–4, which exhorts the elders to "feed the flock of God"

1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are known as the "Pastoral Epistles" because they address the qualifications and duties of church leaders.

In church history, the Pastoral Rule of Pope Gregory I, written in the sixth century, is regarded as a classic treatment of the pastor's disposition and conduct. The Reformed Pastor (1656) by the Puritan Richard Baxter, which emphasizes household visitation and personal catechetical instruction, remains widely read today. In the nineteenth century, Friedrich Schleiermacher established practical theology as a distinct discipline within the theological curriculum. In the twentieth century, the American scholar Seward Hiltner defined pastoral theology as theology done from the "shepherding perspective," that is, from the standpoint of care, a definition that influenced the study of pastoral counseling.

Practice in Korean Churches

In the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) programs of Korean theological seminaries, pastoral theology or pastoralia is often taught as a core subject. Distinctive features of pastoral ministry in Korean churches include early morning prayer meetings, regular congregation-wide pastoral visitation (daesimbang), the organization of members into districts (guyeok) and small groups, and discipleship training. How these practices should be understood theologically has been a major concern of Korean pastoral theology. More recently, the field has also taken up topics such as bivocational ministry, online worship, and pastoral burnout.

Emphases differ according to denominational tradition:

• Presbyterian churches understand pastoral ministry within a system in which pastors and elders together form the session to govern and care for the church.
• Methodist churches, continuing the class meeting tradition established by John Wesley, emphasize care through small groups.
• Churches in the Pentecostal tradition tend to place the gifts of the Holy Spirit, divine healing, and prayer at the center of pastoral ministry.
• Baptist churches understand the pastor's role within congregational polity, under which the congregation collectively decides the affairs of the church.