Of Good Comfort

by Stephen Pietsch

Overview

'This is a feast for theologians, historians and Christian counselors. Pietsch examines 21 of Luther's "letters of comfort" to explore Luther's pastoral care for souls suffering with depression. Pietsch uses interdisciplinary tools of inquiry artfully to examine the letters, Luther's pastoral care approaches and the history of the "melancholy tradition". The practice of seelsorge emerges as an amalgam of art, spiritual gift, and understanding of affliction, all resting comfortably within the authority of scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Pietsch's volume is a significant contribution to spiritual care literature, underscoring the conviction of the early church that individual soul care is an essential response to serve those who despair. Offering pivotal pastoral care insights that are often lost, discredited or entirely absent in the work of caring for those who suffer with depression, Pietsch concludes that Luther has given us excellent tools to examine, learn and to teach as we assist souls to find hope, strength and healing in the gospel of Jesus Christ.' Professor Beverly Yahnke Concordia University Wisconsin Executive Director of Christian Counsel, Doxology Lutheran Centre for Spiritual Care and Counsel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781925486483
Publisher:	ATF Press
Publication date:	09/16/2016
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.94(w) x 9.06(h) x (d)

About the Author

Stephen Pietsch is a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia, and lecturer in pastoral theology and counselling at Australian Lutheran College, Adelaide, SA (a college of the University of Divinity). This volume is an adaptation of his doctoral thesis (2014), for which he was awarded the Flinders University Vice Chancellor's Prize for Doctoral Thesis Excellence.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Preface ix

Introduction ix

Why this research? ix

Why Luther? x

Why these letters? xii

Researching Luther Today xiv

Luther's Letters as Sources for Theology and Practice xix

Chapter 1 A Strange World Strangely Familiar 1

Sadness and Madness in Sixteenth Century Germany 2

The Art of the Letter 8

The Consolatio Tradition 15

Luther as Comforter 19

Conclusion 24

Chapter 2 'True Joy and Comfort in Christ' 27

Luther's Letters to Those with Depressive Illness 27

Luther in Mid-To-Late Career 30

Luther's 'Rhetoric of the Heart' 31

Overviews 33

Chapter 3 Disagreeing Likeness 101

A Widening Discussion 102

Social Dimensions 109

The Medical Identity of Depression 114

Psychology and Counselling 120

The Re-emergence of Spirituality 125

Pastoral Care Attitudes and Approaches 131

Conclusion 136