Pastor Paul: Nurturing a Culture of Christoformity in the Church (Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic)

Being a pastor is a complicated calling. Pastors are often pulled in multiple directions and must "become all things to all people" (1 Cor. 9:22). What does the New Testament say (or not say) about the pastoral calling? And what can we learn about it from the apostle Paul?

According to popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight, pastoring must begin first and foremost with spiritual formation, which plays a vital role in the life and ministry of the pastor. As leaders, pastors both create and nurture culture in a church. The biblical vision for that culture is Christoformity, or Christlikeness. Grounding pastoral ministry in the pastoral praxis of the apostle Paul, McKnight shows that nurturing Christoformity was at the heart of the Pauline mission. The pastor's central calling, then, is to mediate Christ in everything. McKnight explores seven dimensions that illustrate this concept--friendship, siblings, generosity, storytelling, witness, subverting the world, and wisdom--as he calls pastors to be conformed to Christ and to nurture a culture of Christoformity in their churches.

• Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire
• The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians
• History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology
• Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian "Third Way" Changed the World
• Searching for the Pattern: My Journey in Interpreting the Bible
• Gospel Allegiance: What Faith in Jesus Misses for Salvation in Christ
• Participating in Christ: Explorations in Paul's Theology and Spirituality
• On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts
• Following King Jesus: How to Know, Read, Live, and Show the Gospel
• Hearers and Doers: A Pastor's Guide to Making Disciples Through Scripture and Doctrine