Care of Souls, Care of Polis
Toward a Political Pastoral Theology
by Ryan LaMothe
Imprint: Cascade Books
In the fields of pastoral care and pastoral theology, there are times when a book signals a paradigm shift. This is one such book. LaMothe develops a political pastoral theology that is used to examine critically political, economic, and societal structures and practices. In the first part of the book, LaMothe argues that care and pastoral care are political concepts, which, along with the notion of justice, can be used as a hermeneutical framework to assess macropolitical and macroeconomic realities. Included in this section is the notion of civil and redemptive discourse, necessary for the survival and flourishing of persons and polis. The last section of the book examines U.S. Empire, capitalism, class, classism, and other pressing political issues using the hermeneutical lens of care.
Ryan LaMothe is Professor Pastoral Care and Counseling in Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. He is the author of five books, his most recent being Prisms of Faith (coeditor, 2016) and Missing Us (2013). He has authored numerous other scholarly publications in the areas of psychology of religion, psychoanalysis, and politics.
“This is a landmark volume for pastoral theology. LaMothe explores issues long neglected in this field, such as U.S. imperialism, neoliberal capitalism, and class struggle . . . The result is a thorough revisioning of pastoral theology and care. This is an indispensable resource for leaders of religious congregations, theological educators, and all those engaged in caring for our shared life in such troubling times.”
—Bruce Rogers-Vaughn, author of Caring for Souls in a Neoliberal Age
“Care is a dynamic reality and a political act. LaMothe’s bold pastoral wisdom weaves a political theology around the intersections of privilege, power, gender, identity, labor, race, and class. Care of Souls, Care of Polis invites the reader to think politically about care and pastorally about politics.”
— Jaco J. Hamman, author of A Play-full Life
“Care of Souls, Care of Polis issues a clarion call for pastoral theologians, ministers, and churches to attend to unrelenting devastation unleashed by forces of neoliberal capitalism—a worldview measuring the worth of persons solely in economic terms—on the souls and psyches of individuals, families, and communities in the United States and around the globe. Ryan LaMothe is a rare and perfect guide for this perilous journey, fully expert both in the literature and practices of pastoral care and in nuances of economic and political theory. What emerges is a ‘redemptive discourse’ that subverts uncivil political speech and offers hope for renewed flourishing in human relationships.”
—Robert C. Dykstra, editor of Images of Pastoral Care: Classic Readings
“Ryan LaMothe is one of the most creative pastoral theologians of our time. For the past couple of decades . . . he has been engaging psychoanalysis, politics, theology, and economics to inquire critically into the polices and the practices of the United States, especially as related to the demonic effects of imperialism and capitalism.”
—Nathan Carlin, co-author of 100 Years of Happiness
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