An expert in the field of pastoral care, John Patton demonstrates that pastoral care is a ministry of the church. He focuses on the community of faith as an authorizer and source of care and upon the relationship between the pastor and a caring community. Patton identifies and compares three paradigms of pastoral care: the classical, the clinical pastoral, and the communal contextual. This third paradigm emphasizes the caring community and the various contexts for care rather than focusing on pastoral care as the work of the ordained pastor.
John Patton is Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He has written many books on pastoral care and counseling and is Associate Editor of the Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling.