The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call - Softcover

Marva J. Dawn; Eugene H. Peterson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1573831484 ISBN 13: 9781573831482

Publisher: Regent College Publishing, 2000

Synopsis

Best-selling authors Eugene Peterson and Marva Dawn offer encouragement to the leaders of today's counter-culture movement.

Pastors are strategically placed to counter the culture. No other profession looks so inoffensive but is in fact so dangerous to the status quo. Their weapon? A gospel that is profoundly countercultural. But standing firm in today's world isn't easy. Powerful forces, both subtle and obvious, attempt to domesticate pastors, to make them, in a word, unnecessary. In this volume, two of today's most respected authors help pastors recover their gospel identity and maintain a pure vision of Christian leadership. Eugene Peterson and Marva Dawn here reconnect pastors with the biblical texts that will train them as countercultural servants of the gospel. In his section of the book, Peterson explores Romans, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus, drawing from them the correct view of pastoral identity. In turn, Dawn looks to Paul's letter to the Ephesians for! instruction for churches seeking to live faithfully in today's world. Packed with encouraging insights from experienced practitioners, this book is must reading for anyone involved in church or parachurch leadership or for anyone now preparing for ministry.

About this title

About the Author

Marva J. Dawn is a theologian, author, musician, andeducator with Christians Equipped for Ministry, Vancouver,Washington, and Teaching Fellow in Spiritual Theology atRegent College. A scholar with four masters degrees and aPh.D. in Christian Ethics and the Scriptures from theUniversity of Notre Dame, Dr. Dawn has spoken for clergyand worship conferences and seminaries throughout NorthAmerica and in Madagascar and in Eastern and WesternEurope. She has written many books, most of which arepublished by Eerdmans.

Review

Academy of Parish Clergy, Top Ten Books of the Year (2001)

Reformed Review
"Every once in a while, a book comes along that should be required reading for everyone who is in ministry. . . If you have enjoyed previous works by Dawn and/or Peterson, you will enjoy this book as well. It is a book that draws pastors, especially closer to God and encourages us to rely more fully on his grace."

Provident Book Finder
"This is a rich book with much to assist both pastors and laypersons in shaping their biblical identity as countercultural servants of Jesus Christ."

Christian Retailing
"The book's premise is that there are three ways that pastors are unnecessary: to what the culture presumes is important, to what pastors themselves feel is essential and to what congregations insist that pastors must do and be. The Unnecessary Pastor should liberate ministers from such manmade limitations and free them to become what God has called them to be. It's likely not only to be popular with clergy, but also clergy-to-be, as seminarians could definitely benefit from its godly insights."

Leadership
"Peterson and Dawn's book is a path back to the altar of honesty. Dawn and Petersen have come to set us free of our addictions to self-importance. It has always been better to be needy than necessary. Their book rightly teaches us that we are unnecessary. When we doubt it, we are irrelevant as well."

Edition details

• Publisher: Regent College Publishing
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1573831484
• ISBN 13: 9781573831482
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 260
• Editor: Peter Santucci