Gula, Richard M S.S. Ethics in Pastoral Ministry: New York/ Mahwah, N.J: Paulist press, 1996.166 pp.
Richard M. Gula, SS. is professor of moral theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He is a well know teacher, presenter, and pastoral minister. He has authored other books and articles, including, The call of Holiness: Embracing a fully Christian life, Reason Informed by Faith, The good life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge, Euthanasia: Moral and Pastoral Perspective, To Work Together Again: The sacrament of Reconciliation, What they say about moral norms, and What They say About Euthanasia.
Ethics in Pastoral Ministry is a book for pastoral ministers who serve the church in a professional ministerial capacity. The author’s aim is to offer a theological-ethical framework for reflecting on the moral responsibility of pastoral ministry as a profession. He presents the theological foundation of ethics in pastoral ministry .He develops same aspects relevant to the moral dimensions of the pastoral ministry. He applies his framework to two critical boundary issues: sexuality and confidentiality. The author further makes a tentative proposal for a limited “Code of professional ministerial responsibility” which has no endorsement by the church p 7.
The author observes that from a theological point of view, a moral ministry must be closely related to experiences of God and convictions about God. Moral responsibilities in ministry are not merely by the social conventions of being, but God authorizes and legitimates morality. He points out that to recognize God as the source and goal of moral striving gives direction to the moral life. Thus seeing the centre and to hold to it as the horizon within which ministers can be able to see the moral dimensions of the ministry.
The author asserts that there is no other profession where the medium and the message are so closely tied together but the ministry. The minister’s effectiveness is judged by the congruence of beliefs, personal life, and performance with the Christian message. How a minister performs in his or her profession role depends a great deal on who they are. Therefore the author suggests that the first step in constructing an ethical framework for pastoral ministry is to give careful attention to character and virtue p 31. The author argues that the special vulnerability of people seeking a pastoral service requires that the pastoral minister have only one concern – to meet the other’s need for ministerial assistance. To mix a personal sexual agenda with this profession is to cross the boundary into unethical behavior.
If a pastoral minister goes wrong on sex, the harm caused is devastating. While sexuality is a good gift for ministry, making people in pastoral ministry alive, energetic, and connecting to others, it can also become a tragic instrument of abuse, exploitation, and disorder p 93.
In his own words the author states that keeping confidence is one of the firmest rules of professional ethics. Ministers he observes have been give a remarkable amount of latitude for defining what qualifies as confidential. Determining what information must be kept confidential is not always easy, the author cited. Thus information is confidential which one person intends another to keep secret and which is shared in the context that make for a good general principle governing professional communication.
How this reviewer is affected by reading Ethics in Pastoral Ministry.
God
As this reviewer reads through this book, it is evident that the Christian community has privilege of experiencing God in his fullness through his covenant of love which he gives through Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God is seen in the condition of what Gula calls enfleshed existence. Human beings are the image of God as declared in Genesis 1:24. Thus our image is reflected in Jesus who is our ultimate norm for what it means to be a person of good character, good morals, and good ethical behavior.
The Christian Life
This book has offered the reviewer a christian ethical framework for reflecting on. This includes the moral responsibility, which this review has on pastoral ministry as a minister. The author has introduced the reviewer to the theological foundations of ethics in pastoral ministry which is to him a profession. These foundations have shaped the reviewers thinking about moral ethical framework that the reviewer should be operating on not only as a Christian but also as a minister of the Word.
Ministry/ Minister
That pastoral ministry is the link between God and humankind, and on the same hand it strengths the mission of Christ in the community of believers. Therefore, a minister should at all times be able to commit himself/herself to the task of the pastoral ministry. Approachable and available to the people that he or she serves. Ministers have to promote and preserve through behavior the way to love God and neighbors. They have also to exhibit a deep commitment to the church and loyalty to its traditions and teachings
The reviewer
That, as a minister, the review has to be good in character. This will explain those that he serves in the ministry who he is. The action the reviewer (minister) perform speaks louder than what he speaks. Therefore, good character will emerge from what he as minister behaves and beliefs.
Richard M. Gula, SS. is professor of moral theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He is a well know teacher, presenter, and pastoral minister. He has authored other books and articles, including, The call of Holiness: Embracing a fully Christian life, Reason Informed by Faith, The good life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge, Euthanasia: Moral and Pastoral Perspective, To Work Together Again: The sacrament of Reconciliation, What they say about moral norms, and What They say About Euthanasia.
Ethics in Pastoral Ministry is a book for pastoral ministers who serve the church in a professional ministerial capacity. The author’s aim is to offer a theological-ethical framework for reflecting on the moral responsibility of pastoral ministry as a profession. He presents the theological foundation of ethics in pastoral ministry .He develops same aspects relevant to the moral dimensions of the pastoral ministry. He applies his framework to two critical boundary issues: sexuality and confidentiality. The author further makes a tentative proposal for a limited “Code of professional ministerial responsibility” which has no endorsement by the church p 7.
The author observes that from a theological point of view, a moral ministry must be closely related to experiences of God and convictions about God. Moral responsibilities in ministry are not merely by the social conventions of being, but God authorizes and legitimates morality. He points out that to recognize God as the source and goal of moral striving gives direction to the moral life. Thus seeing the centre and to hold to it as the horizon within which ministers can be able to see the moral dimensions of the ministry.
The author asserts that there is no other profession where the medium and the message are so closely tied together but the ministry. The minister’s effectiveness is judged by the congruence of beliefs, personal life, and performance with the Christian message. How a minister performs in his or her profession role depends a great deal on who they are. Therefore the author suggests that the first step in constructing an ethical framework for pastoral ministry is to give careful attention to character and virtue p 31. The author argues that the special vulnerability of people seeking a pastoral service requires that the pastoral minister have only one concern – to meet the other’s need for ministerial assistance. To mix a personal sexual agenda with this profession is to cross the boundary into unethical behavior.
If a pastoral minister goes wrong on sex, the harm caused is devastating. While sexuality is a good gift for ministry, making people in pastoral ministry alive, energetic, and connecting to others, it can also become a tragic instrument of abuse, exploitation, and disorder p 93.
In his own words the author states that keeping confidence is one of the firmest rules of professional ethics. Ministers he observes have been give a remarkable amount of latitude for defining what qualifies as confidential. Determining what information must be kept confidential is not always easy, the author cited. Thus information is confidential which one person intends another to keep secret and which is shared in the context that make for a good general principle governing professional communication.
How this reviewer is affected by reading Ethics in Pastoral Ministry.
God
As this reviewer reads through this book, it is evident that the Christian community has privilege of experiencing God in his fullness through his covenant of love which he gives through Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God is seen in the condition of what Gula calls enfleshed existence. Human beings are the image of God as declared in Genesis 1:24. Thus our image is reflected in Jesus who is our ultimate norm for what it means to be a person of good character, good morals, and good ethical behavior.
The Christian Life
This book has offered the reviewer a christian ethical framework for reflecting on. This includes the moral responsibility, which this review has on pastoral ministry as a minister. The author has introduced the reviewer to the theological foundations of ethics in pastoral ministry which is to him a profession. These foundations have shaped the reviewers thinking about moral ethical framework that the reviewer should be operating on not only as a Christian but also as a minister of the Word.
Ministry/ Minister
That pastoral ministry is the link between God and humankind, and on the same hand it strengths the mission of Christ in the community of believers. Therefore, a minister should at all times be able to commit himself/herself to the task of the pastoral ministry. Approachable and available to the people that he or she serves. Ministers have to promote and preserve through behavior the way to love God and neighbors. They have also to exhibit a deep commitment to the church and loyalty to its traditions and teachings
The reviewer
That, as a minister, the review has to be good in character. This will explain those that he serves in the ministry who he is. The action the reviewer (minister) perform speaks louder than what he speaks. Therefore, good character will emerge from what he as minister behaves and beliefs.
