This book offers an introduction to pastoral theology grounded in and flowing from the worshiping life of the church. It embraces the contemporary theological and sociological focus on praxis, while remaining rooted in a robust creedal theology that attends to God's real presence. The work assumes a Christian social imaginary that is continually shaped and reshaped within the church, through God's faithful engagement with his people, even as it seeks to learn from and incorporate the insights from different sociological approaches. This creates an epistemological framework in which theology takes precedence and actively shapes praxis: theory emerges from, and in turn informs, practice within the context of the worshiping community. To anchor this practically in the life of local congregations, this book follows the Eucharistic order of service as given in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, though its structure is designed to be accessible to a broader ecumenical audience.
