The coming of Colonization and Christianity to Africa and other indigenous cross-cultural contexts was a "mixed bag" of pros and cons. The impact of the advent of the two has had a lasting effect being felt even today. It created issues of bi-culturalism and bi-religiousness in personal and religious identities that counselors and the church need to address when working with people from these contexts. There is the existence of deep cultural trauma (including psychological and spiritual scars) needing healing for those living in most of these post-colonial contexts. The Western counseling approaches and Christian rituals need contextualization. A counselor or pastoral caregiver with an integrative consciousness is required to address the psychological and religious identity conflicts existing in African and other indigenous cross-cultural contexts.

Pastoral theologians from Congo, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe address, in this book, the issues of leadership, Ubuntu (community), gender-based violence, political violence, healing, and deliverance faced by pastors and ministers in African contexts today. Drawing on biblical, theological, social scientific, and cultural contextual perspectives, these African Christians offer much needed insights to assist in the care and counseling of persons towards healing, health, and well-being.

In this book David Augsburger discusses the dynamics of pastoral care and counseling across cultural lines. Augsburger combines theology with global perspective and cultural sensitivity to posit an inclusive understanding of pastoral care. This book will be of great interest to pastoral counselors in both academic and practical contexts.

In his holistic and intercultural re-visioning of pastoral care and counselling, Emmanuel Lartey attempts to capture the complex nature of the interaction between people who have been influenced by different cultures, religions, social contexts, origins and gender. He examines various models of pastoral care, drawing on experiences, reflections and theories from the 'Third World', and appraises the International Council for Pastoral Care and Counselling founded in 1979. He examines approaches to pastoral care that draw on liberationist perspectives from Latin America, Asia and Africa; feminist theology, womanism and Black theology. A contemporary spirituality is discussed which draws on different religious traditions including African, Eastern, Semitic and Western. Ultimately, this book aims to make pastoral care and counselling more relevant to the multicultural contexts within which most pastoral practitioners now live.

Meet me at the Palaver shows the damaging impact of colonial Christianity on indigenous African communities. The book opens with stories of destructive change brought to indigenous contexts, where in the culture, values, religion, and humanity of African peoples were often marginalized. Mucherera argues for a holistic narrative pastoral counseling approach to assess and service the three basic areas of human needs in indigenous African communities: body, mind, and spirit. The book presents a hopeful strategy of recovering stories, cultural traditions, and values that have been subjugated in the past as effective means for dealing with contemporary life in indigenous contexts such as Zimbabwe.

In this book, Rev. Dr. Samuel AyeteNyampong has revealed his passion for the good quality of life for the ageing population in Africa and the development of Pastoral Gerontology courses in Theological Institutions across Africa. This book is a resource material for building the capacity of church leaders in the provision of care and support for the ageing population in Africa. All who read this book will find it inspiring, full of deep thoughts, and a challenge to the church and state, thereby provoking sensitivity to the needs of the ageing population in Africa. This book is highly recommended for church leaders, theological students, students of Gerontology and to all who have a passion to promote the quality of life of the ageing population.

Reviews of the first edition:. ' ... a wonderful balance of the major themes, as well as the developing trends, within pastoral theology. - Lee H. Butler, Chicago Theological Seminary. ' ... moves beyond established paradigms of pastoral care as something which is done by ordained, white, middle-class males, and seeks to radically challenge contemporary understandings of what pastoral care is and who should be doing it.'. - Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Care. 'His work provides a cognitive framework for engaging persons from a variety of backgrounds in creating community. My s.