Augustinian Pastor, The: Deep Wisdom for Modern Ministry - Softcover

Joseph H. Sherrard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1540966909 ISBN 13: 9781540966902

Publisher: Baker Publishing Group, 2026

Synopsis

Can embracing Augustine as a role model and mentor transform pastoral life and ministry? In this book, Joseph Sherrard invites readers to encounter Augustine anew—not merely as a theologian or philosopher but as a pastor and mentor. After more than a decade of ministry, Sherrard encountered Augustine afresh; he found that Augustine’s writings and sermons came alive when he heard them in the voice of a fellow pastor shepherding his flock. Sherrard discovered a mentor who had walked the road before him: Augustine understood the complexities of ministry, navigating the challenges of his own complicated times while guiding his people through church conflict and forming them for the ordinary work of love. Sherrard weaves together the story of Augustine’s life and his various writings to offer pastors a deep well of wisdom for their ministry today. He considers who the pastor is and how that informs the various things the pastor does. The book explores topics such as pastoral friendship, a rule of life, pride and humility, preaching, discipleship, and the church community. Each chapter ends with a section on how readers might implement Augustinian principles, providing concrete suggestions for specific ministry practices. With a foreword by Esau McCaulley, this book offers timeless wisdom, insight, and encouragement for the work of pastoral ministry.

About this title

About the Author

Joseph H. Sherrard (PhD, University of St. Andrews) has been pastoring for nearly 20 years and currently serves as pastor of discipleship at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. He a fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians and serves as a guest lecturer at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando. He is also the author of T. F. Torrance as Missional Theologian: The Ascended Christ and the Ministry of the Church.

From the Back Cover

"An extended pastoral reflection brimming with insight and clear counsel"

The Augustinian Pastor retrieves the theology, life, and ministry of Augustine for the increasingly complex task of pastoral ministry in the twenty-first century.

"Many pastors have become interested in welcoming Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest pastor-theologians of all time, into their inner circle. If pastors want to apprentice themselves to Augustine, The Augustinian Pastor is the place to start."
--Joshua Chatraw, Beeson Divinity School

"Sherrard has made Augustine his mentor, and in this book he shares with us what he has learned about Augustine the person and his habitual pastoral practices. The topics Sherrard selects are apt, the pastoral practices he examines are edifying, and the wisdom he gleans from Augustine's writings is richly instructive. He has clearly learned much from his mentor, and we (pastors or not) who take up and read Sherrard can learn from him too."
--Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Litfin Divinity School, Wheaton College

"Sherrard has put together a fantastic book that serves as an extended pastoral reflection brimming with insight and clear counsel. If you feel like you were 'supposed' to read Augustine but have always been overwhelmed by the task, stop feeling guilty and start enjoying what you will learn from this book. It will be a balm to your soul and a gift to your ministry."
--Kelly M. Kapic, Covenant College

"Sherrard shows how reading widely in Augustine's corpus equips us for the wide breadth of life and ministry. I commend this book to pastors and to all training to be pastors."
--Michael Allen, Reformed Theological Seminary

"This book is instructive without being preachy, convicting without being legalistic, and inspiring in the picture it paints of pastoral ministry. I am a better clergy person for having engaged it, and I am sure that you will be as well."
--Esau McCaulley (from the foreword)

Edition details

• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1540966909
• ISBN 13: 9781540966902
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248