Page 174 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

The Work and Thinking of David Benner

life; I am the expert on possible dynamics of rediscover a moral framework for the soul care
change and forms of communication. We have they offer have much to learn from examining
a mutual need of each other as “experts” in or- such care.
der to find a helpful path for you.” In the first Morality forms such a deep and foundational
excerpt on pastoral conversation (the English part of human personality that it necessarily
word “conversation” has a more dialogue-like
sound than the German “Gespräch”), Benner structures all of life. Life can never be lived in
writes about the tension between listening to a place that makes moral judgements inappro-
my vis-à-vis and speaking in God’s name (as priate. Many people, however, think of certain
in preaching) and emphasises the value of li- aspects of life as belonging to a value-free sphe-
stening. I would like to radicalise this aspect re. As noted earlier, some erroneously argue
a little further: I believe that preaching, pro- that psychotherapy operates in such a sphere.
perly understood as communicating the word Others might argue that the conduct of basic
of God, implies listening and dialogue. But it scientific research, or the repair of a radio, or
seems we have lost sight of something: prea- the word-processing of a letter excludes appro-
ching, in both German and English, is deri-
ved from “praedicare” (to proclaim publicly), priate moral reflection. But, as noted by C. S.
which might suggest monologue. The Greek Lewis, right and wrong form such a deep and
origin, however, “homileo”, which can have enduring part of how we are programmed to
the same meaning, originally meant precise- engage with the world that its presence must be
ly a dialogue, an intimate coming together: interpreted as evidence of the deep structure of
the Word of God, of course, became flesh and reality, or in his words, as a clue to the meaning
lived among us and thus proclaimed Him- of the universe. 3
self, coming down to us and amongst us, on This makes moral reflection a valuable part of
an equal footing with us. How are we to im- any dialogue. If the goal of dialogue is the deep
part knowledge of it/Him without listening
– in express contrast, however, to humanistic engagement of two or more people who seek
psychotherapy – a two-fold listening, name- through conversation to work together toward
ly to our human and our heavenly partners shared and truthful understandings of them-
in communication? Understood this way, the selves, each other, and the world, morality has
tension between listening and preaching dis- an important place in such conversation. Truth
solves; what is left is the tension of how we cannot be pursued or apprehended apart from
can get from the success-oriented action mode morality. Truth does not exist outside of right-
usual in our culture into a mode of two-fold ness. This is what Christians understand by the
listening with an ever-increasing depth of at- theological assertion that Christ embodies both
tentiveness. truth and righteousness.

But while the pastor`s greatest challenge to Wolfram Soldan: In this intermediate section,
dialogue may lie in the tension between liste- Benner shows that a psychologically well-
ning to the person in conversation and talking founded dialogue, too, as a genuine encoun-
for God, this proclamatory aspect of pastoral ter between two persons, cannot take place
care also is associated with what is probably the without values as if in a morality-free zone.
greatest contribution that pastoral conversation The frequently postulated value-neutrality
can make to non-pastoral soul care - the remin- of psychotherapy is an illusion, as the more
der of the importance of moral inquiry in such modern humanistically influenced forms of
psychotherapy, which would now include the
dialogue. Although pastoral care has at times more current trends in behavioural therapy
been unclear about its moral framework, of all and deep psychology, would recognise: for
the contemporary forms of soul care, it has re- these, questions of right and wrong as well as
mained most faithful to the awareness that the spiritual questions are an absolutely funda-
care of souls must include a moral perspective. mental part of being human and should be
The challenge is to conduct this moral inquiry formed transparently into a dialogue topic in
without resorting to moral manipulation or of- order to strengthen the decision-making ca-
fering mere moralisms. The best pastoral care 3 C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan,
does this quite routinely. Others who seek to 1943).
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