Abstract:
This dissertation presents a bibliographic, documental and empirical research about the pastoral image and identity, seeking to verify possible processes of neurotic idealization of religious ministers of a Lutheran Protestant denomination. It seeks to find in the theology of grace possibilities of de-idealization of the pastoral ministry as lived out and taught by the reformer Martin Luther. The first chapter focuses on the social-historical-cultural axis, seeking to verify how the social representations of the pastoral image and identity were constructed as well as analyze their process of crisis and deconstruction in contemporary times. The second chapter deals with the psychological axis seeking to understand how the psychic processes of neurotic idealization occurs based on selected concepts of three psychological theories: Freudian psychoanalysis, the analytical psychology of Jung and the culturalist psychoanalysis of Karen Horney. The third chapter seeks to present evidence that pastoral suffering is a reality in the ecclesiastical world, which therefore should be admitted within the environs of the religious institutions, of the faith communities and of the pastors themselves without this being considered a threat of loss of pastoral authority or dignity. The fourth chapter deals with the theology of the pastoral ministry verifying how this theme is defined in the Bible, understood by the Primitive Church and interpreted in Luther’s thoughts, the Lutheran Confessions and the contemporary texts of the Lutheran church. The fifth and last chapter seeks to present the trajectory of the reformer Martin Luther through the meanders of the neurotic idealization until the discovery of the theology of grace demonstrating that the theology and anthropology of the reformer helped in the deconstruction of any attempt of idealizing the pastorate. The empirical research, carried out with 223 pastors, a 25.87 percentage of the whole population of pastors of the religious denomination investigated, showed in its results that there are significant elements of pastoral suffering in the midst of Lutheran pastors, as well as points out evident perceptions of the idealization of the pastoral office in the referred to church on the part of the majority of the pastors. The research showed the existence of a distancing between the theology of the pastoral ministry of the Lutheran church, which is de-idealized, from the experiences lived out and felt by the pastors exercising their pastoral ministry. The research indicates the need take up with the Lutheran church the recovery of Martin Luther’s thought about ministry, in his anthropology as well as in the exposition of the theology of grace. This recovery could help in the processes of de-idealization of the pastoral ministry as well as promote a necessary humanization of this ministry in the sense of accepting with more love and grace the pastoral failures and limitations.
