The Living Human Web: A Twenty-five Year Retrospective

This article traces developments in the 25-year history of a metaphor that has shaped the late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century discipline of pastoral theology in the United States. It looks back at the ‘living human document’ as a pivotal image and then identifies three trends behind the a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pastoral psychology 2018-06, Vol.67 (3), p.305-321
Main Author: Miller-McLemore, Bonnie J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Cross Cultural Psychology
Empathy
Metaphor
Pastoral counseling
Pastoral theology
Psychology
Religious Studies
Social interaction
Social justice
Sociology
Theology
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Summary:This article traces developments in the 25-year history of a metaphor that has shaped the late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century discipline of pastoral theology in the United States. It looks back at the ‘living human document’ as a pivotal image and then identifies three trends behind the appearance of the ‘living human web,’ its key attributes, four divergent ways the metaphor has been used, and tasks ahead. The article argues that while the living human document addressed the challenge of irrelevant theology, the living human web responded to the challenge of social injustice. But both metaphors share a common aim endemic to the discipline—to expand empathy, whether for the individual or the wider context, in order to respond to people in need.
ISSN:0031-2789
1573-6679
DOI:10.1007/s11089-018-0811-7