Peterson, Eugene H. The Pastor: Every Step an Arrival. (2011) New York, NY: Harper One.
I would like to Harper One for this review copy of The Pastor by Eugene Peterson. While I do not see myself as being called vocationally to pastoral work (at least not at this junction) this does not mean that I do not want to be “pastoral”. In other words, we often hear of “pastor-theologians”, which is not exactly how I would understand myself. Rather, I prefer “pastoral-theologian”. I want to do my theological thinking with a pastoral heart for the people who are trying to live the Christian faith in the real world. Eugene Peterson is the perfect dialog partner for such an endeavor.
Summary:
This book is a memoir of a man who spent a few decades within the two millenium old tradition of pastoring in the Christian church. Peterson mixes theological reflection with narrative. This takes the reader everywhere from Montana where he grew up with his butcher father and semi-evangelist mother in the Pentecostal tradition to New York City where he went to seminary and into the Presbyterian tradition to Maryland where he founded a church and pastored it for many years to Vancouver, BC, where he ended up as a professor.
There were certain elements that resonated with me. The first was his love/hate relationship with his Pentecostal roots. He was grateful, yet often notes the glaring weaknesses of this overly emotional, sometimes unstable and legalistic branch of Christianity. As someone who could understand this tension it was encouraging to see Peterson where he is today. It is a sign one can survive this transition, learn from the best of Pentecostalism while also being aware of its dangers.
Another area that I enjoyed was his love for the life of the mind, yet the realization that he was not going to be a proto-typical “scholar”. For Peterson this meant he would become a pastor. For someone like myself I do not know, but I do know that I could affirm the desire to avoid a life that never leaves the theoretical in a dusty library somewhere.
Peterson has earned my respect from his love for pastoral ministry that sees people as people and his refusal to buy into the market driven, consumer Christianity that has captivated so many pastors in our country. Peterson reminds the reader that churches are not businesses and that people are not problems; worship is not a “product” and programs are not a sign of health. We need more people to say this.
Strengths:
Peterson is brilliant. He almost received a Ph.D. in Semitic Languages from John Hopkins University but left to pursue the pastoral vocation. I remember when The Message made him a very criticized man, but I have always like the idea because it is a “pastoral translation”. It is the fruit of his effort to take Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek into the jargon on American English. As someone who loves biblical studies and the theological task it was refreshing to hear a pastor who can stand his ground in this area.
The book does a great job of mixing theological reflection and interesting narrative. Peterson will tell a story of real people while inserting Proverbial wisdom here and there. Also, it is very balanced in chapter length which makes it easy to work through. One can read a fifteen page chapter here and then a three page chapter here. If the reader is busy progress can still be made without feeling like you lost the flow of the book.
Weaknesses:
It is a memoir, so it is hard to say there are any “weaknesses”, but I can mention one disappointment: Where is Gordon D. Fee? Peterson and Fee went to SPU together, they were on the same track team together, they both have Pentecostal roots, and they both taught at Regent College in Vancouver, BC, yet not one single sentence mentions him. I found this odd.
Conclusion:
If you are a pastor, please read this book. If you are in seminary, please read this book. If you are in graduate school for biblical studies or Christian theology, please read this book. If you have a pastor, please read this book.
the archives near Emmaus 
Always the work and ministry of Gordon Fee, for me there is simply no comparison here! Not a Peterson fan myself, sorry – and not personal, but biblical and theological. I would have said nothing, but measured next to Fee, I had to. 🙂
Brian, there are no weaknesses in this book! 😉
I think they were there after each other and not together (I could well be wrong). Also, it is a memoir not an autobiography. There are lots of details left out. I think he is telling the story of his pastoral formation not his life (if that makes sense).
I am re-reading the book now.
@Fr. Robert: I wasn’t juxtaposing the two. They are very different in their vocations. I am just surprised that Fee was not mentioned.
@Mark: True, there is likely many interactions left unmentioned. I came to the book looking for Fee though. It is possible they taught at Regent University at different times, but I thought there was some overlap.
Brian,
I can tell ya a guy from Regent who I like very much, in fact his book: Knowing God, got me really thinking Reformed (1970 something?), and in fact also with God’s help and grace, pressed me to leave R. Catholicism. Of course that man is James (J.I.) Packer!
Brian, thanks for this. I never knew he and Fee paths had crossed outside of Regent College. But I don’t know if I should speculate either. However, I do agree that pastors and the lot of them should give this book a read.
Thanks for the review. I just started the book.
Brian, great review. I don’t want to offend you, but good luck with being a “pastoral theologian.” A great challenge of the church has always been when there was the separation of theology from pastoral work. I would highly recommend you keep tied in some way in the work of the church to keep that heart. The separation of theological work from pastoral work creates a horrible rift and weakens both sides of the equation.
@T.C. I guess they were on the same relay team at SPU. Can you imagine?
@Tom: You’re welcome.
@Dan: Indeed, that has long been one of my great concerns. I do hope to remain attached to both church and academy throughout my life. It is hard to do, but it has been done (e.g. Wright, Piper, Carson, Blomberg, Breshears, et al.).
Brian,
Do yourself a favor, and look a little further back at the other generations and their theological teachers. Try someone like G.C. Berkouwer for example, and even the American Bernard Ramm. Just a few from more my time, etc. 🙂
Thanks for the review, hope to get my hands on a copy soon.
I want to read it to see what he believes are the signs of a healthy church and an effective pastor.
@Jeff: You’re welcome.
I’m a young guy and I’m a pretty slow reader. I’ve read a bit but not too much.
You mentioned at the end that I should read this.
What is so unlike other books you have read that make this one pertinent that basically all men serving in the church should read this one?
@Scott: Thank you for the great question. I think many books that address pastoral concerns come as either very theoretical with some examples sprinkled here and there and others read more like a car manual. Peterson’s is a narrative from beginning to end with some commentary. Rather than feeling like you need to do A, B, and C to be a good pastor someday, you can begin thinking along with Peterson, pondering how he handled things and what he learned from them.
Does that clarify?
hey – ya – thanks! I wasn’t sure how much of a bio it was (Christianbooks is actually selling it as one – on sale too!). My Greek prof really likes him and he alike me has a pentecostal upbringing. I’m interested to take a gander.
@Scott: Peterson will resonate with anyone who was brought up around Pentecostalism. I think both current and former Pentecostals have a lot that can be learned from him. For current Pentecostals it will be a reminder of some of the common weaknesses of that movement. May it serve to encourage maturation in that area. For former Pentecostals it is evidence that there is life after Pentecostalism if this particular version of Christianity didn’t work for you.