Donald Capps draws upon the poetry of William Stafford and Denise Levertov to show how poetry can benefit the field of pastoral care. He argues that poetry focuses on the immediate experience and attends to life itself, whereas theology and ethics focus more on abstract discourse, seeking to achieve a more panoramic view of life.
Donald Capps is Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has written many books, including Jesus the Village Psychiatrist.