The pastoral challenge of an abusive situation

This paper explores a ministerial response to congregants who have abused or neglected their child. I begin by distinguishing the three major secular responses to this kind of family problem: casework, counseling, and therapy, and go on to note how all of the above are limited in their effectiveness by the objective, causal, explanatory framework within which they operate. I suggest that a pastor can take the same family facts and help those involved to understand and respond to them concretely as they are experienced. The paper concludes with an exploration of this alternative approach within a religious vocabulary of prayer and increased inwardness.