The understanding of pastoral care and counselling in the Church of South India, with special reference to the work of the Christian Counselling Centre, Vellore

• Main Author: Arles, N.
• Published: University of Edinburgh 1994
• Subjects: 253
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.641056

The late sixties in India saw the emergence of counselling centres, new courses and literature on pastoral counselling. These centres emphasised skills, used various therapies, advocated a non-directive approach and a "paid to care" model. However, the practice of counselling raised tensions between psychology, culture and theology. This thesis translates these tensions into a series of research questions which are addressed in a form of five hypotheses tested throughout the chapters using historical, theological and socio-economic/cultural methodologies in the context of a case study of the Christian Counselling Centre (CCC) in Vellore. This thesis traces pastoral care and pastoral carers in the missions period from 1706 to 1947 and in the Church of South India. The traditional form of pastoral care developed during this period included preaching, healing, sustaining, reconciling and nurturing with guidance as the predominant emphasis. Conflicts arose between the theory and practice of pastoral care. The Synod and Diocesan councils' interpretation of pastoral care as aiding evangelism, and addressing pastoral situations, proved impossible in practice as pastors had large pastorates with administrative duties. The limitations of the advice-giving form of pastoral care in meeting the problems of urbanisation and industrialisation were shown by the Christian Mass Movements, the Rethinking Group, the Tambaram Conference of 1938, the Christian Home Movement and the Industrial Missions. VT Kurien introduced Rogerian non-directive counselling. The suggestions of counselling, education, specialised training for clergy and laity and borrowing insights from human sciences led to 1) the development of chaplains in industries and hospitals; 2) the training of the laity and the clergy in counselling and industrial missions; 3) new courses in pastoral counselling; 4) the formation of the CCC and 5) an increase in literature on pastoral care and counselling.