Toward a Practical Theology

As chaplain at a retirement centre, I am always searching for material to help conduct services and deliver better pastoral care to my residents there. However, I am also on the lookout for materials that will give me a greater understanding not only of how but also the why and what of my ministry. This text by K. Brynolf (Bernie) Lyon, professor of pastoral care and counseling at my seminary, is one of those resources that addresses the wide range of issues that concern me in my ministry. As our population has an increase in people who live longer, an effective understanding of aging from psychological and theological perspectives.Lyon draws on the long history of Christian thought and practice, the influences of cultural and intellectual development from the time of Greek philosophy to the present, and draws much material directly from the biblical texts to develop his ideas. Lyon sees it as vitally important that our framework for pastoral care must be grounded in the history of Christian practice as it looks at aging and the aged, but also that this framework must be examined critically so that it can be applied appropriately toward society today, and not in some artificial creation as if we still lived in the first-century Roman Empire, or even Reformation-period cultures. Lyon incorporates a strong sense of hope throughout his exploration. As the text progresses, Lyon brings in examples and case studies successful and not quite so successful. Ultimately, Lyon hopes to show that there is blessing in aging for those of us of ultimately have little choice, and how to engage fairly and appropriately those in their latter years. Lyon warns against false hope and trivialisation of the real needs and concerns of the aged, looking instead to build a sense of the continuing presence of God in the lives of people throughout their entire lives. So long as there is life, there is the continuing process of life and growth of which God is apart and in which God can be recognised and engaged.This text is part of a series on Theology and Pastoral Care overseen by Don Browning, but this book stands alone as a worthwhile and accessible text full of insight and inspiration.

the aspect of aging with theology and pastoral care in mind. It should be a must read for all students of theology and aging. Lyon's words and thoughts flow from the pages and plant the seeds for a practical theology of aging to bloom in the near future. Lyon is undoubtedly at the forefront of the exploration of theology and aging.

you should read this book. my pappy wrote it (k. b. lyon