Reconstructing the Identity of Pastoral Care amidst Its Identity Crisis—Don S. Browning's Critical Proposale

Reconstructing the Identity of Pastoral Care amidst its Identity Crisis : Don S. Browning's Critical Proposal

Simon S. KWAN

As part of the church's ministry, Pastoral Care has as long a history as the church itself. However, it was driven into an identity crisis when the western world entered into the second half of the twentieth century. This crisis was recognized by a group of pastoral/practical theologians. One of the leading figures among these theologians is Don S. Browning. This article attempts to articulate the identity crisis and its possible causes by examining the diagnosis given by Browning along with his discursive group. It also analyzes how Pastoral Care has run into this crisis when it uncritically appropriated secular psychologies in general and, therapeutic psychologies in particular. By looking into Browning's critical proposal on reconstructing Pastoral Care's identity, this article clarifies the traditional ethical-theological foundation of Pastoral Care. However, Pastoral Care has to be a public discourse in the modern world and must, therefore, develop a capacity for dialogue with its others. Browning's practical moral thinking is set forth as a successful attempt in meeting this need.

The final part of this article is an appraisal of Browning's critical proposal. On the one hand, the author concludes that Browning's proposal is an adequate one. On the other hand, the author suggests that Browning's proposal runs into the weakness of ethical reductionism that, in turn, causes it to respond inadequately to the contemporary pluralistic world. This article contends that this weakness is largely caused by Browning's heavy methodological reliance upon Aristotle's conception of Phronesis.