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An expert in the field of pastoral care, John Patton demonstrates that pastoral care is a ministry of the church. He focuses on the community of faith as an authorizer and source of care and upon the relationship between the pastor and a caring community. Patton identifies and compares three paradigms of pastoral care: the classical, the clinical pastoral, and the communal contextual. This third paradigm emphasizes the caring community and the various contexts for care rather than focusing on pastoral care as the work of the ordained pastor.
John Patton
John Patton is the Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and a retired United Methodist minister. He is the author of many books, including Pastoral Care: An Essential Guide, Is Human Forgiveness Possible? and Pastoral Care in Context: An Introduction to Pastoral Care. Dr. Patton is also an associate editor of Abingdon's Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling.
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