The Pastor as Scholar & The Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry
What will our scholarship and pastoral ministry be if we are heads without hearts or hearts without heads? Recognizing the need for pastors and scholars to embody both theological depth and practical focus, John Piper and D. A. Carson have boldly advanced what it means to be a pastor-theologian and a theologian-pastor.
Weaving testimony and teaching, Piper and Carson challenge those in academia and in the pastorate to think carefully and holistically about their calling. Piper centers on the importance of careful thinking in his role as pastor, while Carson focuses on the importance of a pastoral heart in his career as scholar.
With insight and balance, Piper and Carson give critical guidance to help us span interdisciplinary gaps to the glory of God and the good of his church. These chapters are revised and expanded versions of the messages originally given following the 2009 Gospel Coalition conference.
Don't miss the Crossway D.A. Carson Collection (7 vols.).
- Clarifies the role and fuel of pastoral efforts and scholarship: theology
- Challenges readers to contribute to scholarship as a worshipful act
- Personal reflections by prominent authors and pastors who have exemplified the pastor/scholar role
- Introduction, The Return of the Pastor-Scholar, Owen Strachan
- The Pastor as Scholar: A Personal Journey and the Joyful Place of Scholarship, John Piper
- The Scholar as Pastor: Lessons from the Church and the Academy, D. A. Carson
- Conclusion: The Preacher, the Professor, and the True Pastor-Scholar, David Mathis
Top Highlights
“So when you read ‘devotionally,’ keep your mind engaged; when you read ‘critically’ (i.e., with more diligent and focused study, deploying a panoply of ‘tools’), never, ever, forget whose Word this is. The aim is never to become a master of the Word, but to be mastered by it.” (Page 91)
“Right thinking about God exists to serve right feelings for God. Logic exists for the sake of love. Reasoning exists for the sake of rejoicing. Doctrine exists for the sake of delight. Reflection about God exists for the sake of affection for God. The head is meant to serve the heart.” (Page 50)
“Nothing is quite as deceitful as an evangelical scholarly mind that thinks it is especially close to God because of its scholarship rather than because of Jesus.” (Page 76)
“‘Reading maketh a full man; speaking maketh a quick man; writing maketh an exact man.’” (Page 98)
“In short, take steps to avoid becoming a mere quartermaster. Unless you are actively involved in pastoral ministry in some sense or other, you will become distant from the frontlines and therefore far less useful than you might be.” (Page 84)
- D.A. Carson
- John Piper
- David Mathis
- Owen Strachan
Few books are so needed as this. Recapturing the vision of the pastor as scholar and the scholar as pastor is crucial for the health of the church. Who would not want to read John Piper and D. A. Carson as they reflect on this calling? This is one of the most encouraging and helpful books I have seen in a long time. If you are a pastor, read it. If you have a pastor, put it in his hands.
—R. Albert Mohler Jr., President and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
How we need pastors and professors who love God with their minds and their emotions. Two of the preeminent evangelicals of our day reflect here on what it means to love Christ with all our heart. I was encouraged, convicted, and challenged by this book. It is a treasure well worth rereading.
—Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Associate Dean of the School of Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
I’m deeply encouraged by the growing number of pastoral scholars and scholarly pastors. Probably no living Christians have done more to bring about this trend than D. A. Carson and John Piper. In this book, they will inspire you with stories from their journeys and challenge you with seasoned advice. Most of all, they will lead you to thank God that he gives you the privilege of leading and teaching his church.
—Collin Hansen, Editorial Director, The Gospel Coalition; author, Blind Spots
- Title: The Pastor as Scholar & The Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry
- Authors: D. A. Carson, John Piper
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2011
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Pages: 128
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Pastoral theology; Theology › Study and teaching; Clergy › Post-ordination training
- ISBNs: 9781433526473, 9781433526480, 9781433526497, 9781433526503, 1433526476, 1433526484, 1433526492, 1433526506
- Resource ID: LLS:PASTORASSCHOLAR
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:08:30Z
John Piper is a widely respected theologian and bestselling author who served as pastor for Preaching and Vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church for 33 years. He still serves as chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary.
Piper attended Wheaton College where he majored in literature and minored in philosophy. He completed his bachelor of divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he studied under Daniel Fuller. Piper received his doctorate in theology from the University of Munich and taught biblical studies for six years at Bethel College.
In 1994, Piper founded Desiring God Ministries, which provides Piper’s sermons, articles, and information on titles he has authored. One of his bestsellers, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, prompted the name of the ministry.
D.A. Carson is an internationally distinguished New Testament scholar. He is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has published more than 50 books and is the editor of three series: New Studies in Biblical Theology (IVP), the Pillar New Testament Commentary (Eerdmans), and Studies in Biblical Greek (Peter Lang). He received his MDiv from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto and his PhD from Cambridge University. He has held several pastoral positions and is currently president of the Gospel Coalition.
