Soul Mentoring

David Robinson (MDiv, DMin) lives in Cannon Beach, Oregon with his wife Trina, serving as pastor at Community Church since 1993. His previous books include Ancient Paths: Discover Christian Formation the Benedictine Way (2010), The Busy Family's Guide to Spirituality (2009), and The Christian Family Toolbox (2001). He enjoys playing jazz piano, hiking in national parks, and spending time with his family. Robinson is a Benedictine Oblate with Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon.

"Robinson has again taken us down a pathway of spiritual practices that is both grounded in the rich tradition of the church while being urgently valuable to a spiritually thirsty contemporary church. Read, drink deeply, and live and love generously."Mark Labberton, President, Fuller Theological Seminary"I wish I had had Robinson's Soul Mentoring when I introduced graduate psychology students to Gregory's On Pastoral Care in years past. ... Robinson's book is insightful, engaging, and eminently practical for those who want to learn how to care for the 'souls' of others, while taking stock of their own spiritual lives in the process."Dennis Okholm, Professor of Theology, Azusa Pacific University"Robinson has written an ingenious and graceful book. Taking his cue from Gregory the Great's classic work on pastoral care, he has reinvented and recontextualized those lessons in ways that urge the reader into a relationship with both authors at once. Far from a paraphrase and yet remarkably faithful to Gregory's original series of meditations and admonitions, Robinson's own wisdom simultaneously disarms and equips aspiring mentors as well as those whom they serve."John L. Thompson, Professor of Historical Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary"Robinson has the knack of bringing alive ancient manuscripts. ... In this day and age when spiritual direction is being rediscovered, Gregory's Pastoral Care has valuable insights into the lost art of soul care. Like Gregory's original, Robinson's work is rich in imagery, metaphor, illustration, and story, making it very accessible, very readable, very useful to pastor and layperson alike."Richard Peace, Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation, Fuller Theological Seminary"Soul Mentoring is a wonderful resource for seekers who want to deepen their relationship with the divine through their relationship with each other: as mentors and as the mentored. ... The writing is clear and poetic. I am delighted that David Robinson is bringing this all-but-forgotten classic text to our current generation"Laura Swan, Benedictine Sister, Saint Martin's University

• Preface: Caring for Feet Acknowledgments Introduction: When Setting Out on a Long Journey PART ONE: The Journey into Mentoring - Learning the Art of Arts 1 The Art of Arts 2 Good Drinking Water 3 The School of Adversity 4 On the Edge 5 This Little Light of Mine 6 Good Earth 7 Heart Motives 8 Mary Poppins 9 Storms at Sea 10 Water for Thirsty Hearts Mentoring Inventory: Part One PART TWO: The Character of a Mentor - Drinking from Mountain Streams 11 Integrity 12 Walking the Talk 13 Wisdom in Silence and Speech 14 Compassion and Contemplation 15 Mothering and Fathering 16 Inside-Out and Outside-In 17 Motivated by Love and Truth 18 Discernment 19 Checkup 20 Drinking from Mountain Streams Mentoring Inventory: Part Two PART THREE: The Practice of Mentoring - Becoming a Skilled Musician 21 Men and Women 22 Young and Old 23 Poor and Rich 24 Joyful and Sad 25 Leaders and Followers 26 Employees and Employers 27 The Educated and the Uneducated 28 The Bold and the Shy 29 The Assertive and the Timid 30 The Impatient and the Patient 31 The Generous and the Envious 32 The Sincere and the Insincere 33 The Healthy and the Sick 34 The Sensitive and the Hardened 35 The Silent and the Talkers 36 The Lazy and the Hasty 37 The Meek and the Angry 38 The Humble and the Arrogant 39 The Stubborn and the Indecisive 40 The Excessive and the Abstinent Mentoring Inventory: First Half of Part Three 41 Givers and Takers 42 The Thrifty and the Wasteful 43 The Quarrelers and the Peaceable 44 Sowers of Discord and Sowers of Peace 45 The Ignorant and the Proud 46 The Hesitant and the Hasty 47 The First and the Last 48 The Married and the Single 49 Sinners and Saints 50 Active and Contemplative 51 Addiction and Codependence 52 The Boastful and the Hypocrites 53 The Impulsive and the Willful 54 Molehills and Mountains 55 Starting and Finishing 56 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 57 Man on Wire 58 Hopelessly Optimistic 59 Milk and Meat 60 Footprints and Pathways Mentoring Inventory: Second Half of Part Three Conclusion: Care of the Soul of a Mentor - Portrait of a Master Artist Appendices A. The Life and Legacy of Gregory the Great B. Study Guide for Individual or Group Study Bibliography