Theology’s Primacy in the Care of Souls: Bonhoeffer on Formation for the Ministry of Pastoral Care

Bonhoeffer's seminary at Finkenwalde has sometimes been referred to as an experiment in Protestant monasticism.  His lectures on Pastoral Care, reconstructed from his outlines and surviving student notes make clear that he believes that Gospel-centered pastoral care requires both intellectual and spiritual formation to achieve its task.  For Bonhoeffer, psychological distress comes from a human sin that prevents an individual from hearing the Gospel, and identifying this sin is the primary task of pastoral care. Bonhoeffer also attempts to differentiate pastoral care based on what seems to be a polemical portrait of psychoanalysis. This paper explores the usefulness and limitations of Bonhoeffer's focus on theology and how it might be enriched by greater dialouge with psychological sciences and medicine.