The Art of Spiritual Midwifery
diaLogos and Dialectic in the Classical Tradition
- Counseling, Grief & Mental Health
- Publisher: Cascade Books (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2015
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Publisher's Description
What comes after reflective listening? What comes after the ministry of presence? Spiritual midwifery is a powerful framework for offering pastoral care in today's fast-paced environment. Midwifery offers ways of thinking about those who are served, the work itself, and what it means to be a clinical caregiver within the tradition of the care of souls. Spiritual midwifery has philosophical and spiritual roots that stem from the earliest seeds of Western thought, even back to Jesus and Socrates. Readers will find an inductive approach toward a conceptual model that offers insight for richer assessments and outcome-oriented goals of care. Part One sets out the metaphors of the midwife and the dialogue. Part Two unpacks the methodology behind the mechanics. Part Three looks at creative applications of midwifery, and is followed by a Symposium patterned after Plato's own Symposium. A rigorous theory remains at the center of the work, but the tone is poetically balanced enough to invite the transformation of the spiritual caregiver. From the philosophy of Heraclitus to the theology of Kierkegaard to the spiritual direction of Guenther, The Art of Spiritual Midwifery brings forth a comprehensive conception of pastoral care and its delivery.
Endorsements (2)
“This amazing book . . . gives voice to 'articles of faith' that belong to all positive transformative endeavors related to humans: spiritual, educational, parental, aesthetic, imaginative, ethical, societal, and more. Faller's conceptualization of midwifery goes deep without invoking a transfer of knowledge, but rather the skillful facilitation of the individual's own journey toward embracing meaning.”
“Stephen Faller's new book . . . introduces us to the practice of spiritual midwifery in a way that restores it to its proper place, not as an historical spiritual activity that has 'had its day' but as an important and fascinating spiritual practice that has much relevance for how we seek to birth contemporary Christian spirituality. . . . In opening up this fascinating aspect of the care of souls Faller provides deep and captivating insights that have real potential for contemporary pastoral care.”
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