What does it mean to give spiritual care? To shepherd a soul?

These are the most basic questions of pastoral ministry, yet they can sometimes be difficult to answer.

Few have given clearer, more pointed answers than Eugene Peterson. Eugene founded Christ Our King (Presbyterian) Church in Bel Air, Maryland, and served as its pastor for twenty-nine years. He has written many books about ministry, including Working the Angles; Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work; and The Contemplative Pastor (all Eerdmans).

Four years ago, Eugene became professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He divides his time between teaching and translating the Bible into a popular, contemporary rendering known as The Message (NavPress).

Leadershipeditor Kevin Miller visited Eugene and his wife, Jan, in their apartment just a block from Regent College, which sits on the lush, evergreen campus of the University of British Columbia.

We soon found that to talk about pastoral ...