PASTORAL CARE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The United Nations resolution, “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” in 2015 listed article 3 (SDG 2030: 3) which is to: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. This paper argues that pastoral counselling employing Theo-psychology has a fundamental role to play, especially for those counselees who are people of faith, for whom conventional therapies have failed or proven inadequate. It avers that a substantial population of sub-Sahara Africa as in other parts of the world, are Christians who would appreciate and accept Biblical approach to their therapy, either exclusively or in combination with psychotherapy or use of psychotropic medications. We submit in our Theosophy that the Mystery of Christian Gospel is the premise of Christology. The Gospel, we affirm has the power to regenerate the human spirit, change thought schemata and mind set, as well as heal the physical body. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified offers an exchange of life: the old and natural for the new and supernatural. We contend that contemporary omission of the doctrine of repentance, has resulted in the preaching of a “gospel” which has lost its mystery and has become the source of the travesty, which today is offered as Christian religion, in many places. This paper also submits that a Christian population estimated at 2.38 billion in the year 2021, has a substantial population subset in need of Biblical pastoral counselling which must be met, if this requisite development goal will be achieved and sustained.

Keywords: Pastoral, counselling, sustainable development, Christology, mystery, Gospel 

Reference

SWA Adejumo. Pastoral Care for Sustainable Development, Journal of Nigerian Association of Pastoral Counsellors: 2: 37-53.