PASTORAL ASSESSMENT IN THE CONGREGATIONAL GENRE

The ecclesial paradigm and more specifically the congregational genre, define the task, resources, and to some extent the processes of pastoral assessment in distinctive ways. This paper pursues the implications for pastoral assessment of ecclesia's distinctive anthropological and moral/ethical concerns as well as its understanding of the dynamics of authority in pastoral relationships. The implications of the methodological complexity of the congregational genre will also be explored, especially in relation to discerning appropriate ethical approaches and understanding the dynamics and influence of pastoral authority.