Includes bibliographical references and index.

Dedication--Acknowledgements--Foreword--General Introduction--Chapter One--Pastoral Theology: Background and Development--Introduction--The Dilemma between Theoria and Praxis--Aciton of Early Cristian Communities--Historical Precedents--Philosophical Background and Influence--Concerns and Responses of Theology--Concerns for Rationality and Trasformation--Response to Crisis of Meaning and Crisis of Reality--Beginning Pastoral Theology--Early Development and Key Concepts--Pastoral and Theological Trends--Conclusion--Chapter Two--Undesprstanding Pastoral Theology as a Theological Discipline--Introduction--Insights from Vatican II--Shift in Self-Undestanding of the Chruch and mission--Theories about pastoral theology--Defining Pastoral Theology--Conceptual Cautions--Demands and Assumptions--Descriptions of Pastoral Theology--Subject Matter of Pastoral Theology--Scope and Limits--Basic pastoral activities--Conclusion--Chapter Three--Methodological Considerations--Introductions--Doing Theology in General--Components of Theological Research--Methods and Types of Reaearch--Doing Theology in Concrete Situations--Dicerning Crescendos for Pastoral Method--Doing Theology in General--Discovering Motivations and Drives--Integrating Lived Faith and Inclusiveness--Relevance of the Method and Catholicity--Towards Reverential Dialogical-Based Methods and Models--Patoral Theology as a Reverential Dialogue Reality--Inductive and Deductive Approaches--Illuminated analysis and Research--Conclusion--Chapter Four--Spiral of Praxis as Theological Method--Introduction--The Basis and Legitimacy of the Spiral of Praxis--Moments and Parts as Mediations--Pastoral Vigilance and Watchfulness: Contact and Intersection--Socio-Pastoral Analysis--Rearch Methodologies in Light of Social-Pastoral Analysis--Motivation and Puerpose of Reasearch--Research Desing in Pastoral Perspective--Previous works in the Field--Integrating Research Methodologies--Clarity and Adherence--Causation and Techniques of Data Collection--Pastoral Research Desing and Argumentation--Legitimacy and Limitations--Conclusions--Chapter Five--Contetxs in doing Pastoral Theology: Opportunities and Callenges--Introduction--Undestanding Contexts from a Pastoral Perspective--Lived Experience as Immediated Location--Contexts as Site of the Church's Living--Contexts in Light Of Second Vatican Council--Contexts as inmediated Location of Doing Theology--Coherence in Doing Pastoral Theology--Reverential Dialogical Activity and Action--Current Trends and Orientations in Doing Pastoral Theology--Practical Character and Aproach--Recapturing the Agendum of Faith in Society--The Veracity and Needs for Reconciliation, Justice, and Peace--Conclusion--Chapter Six--Theological Reflection as Hermeneutic Activity--Introduction--Meaning in Human Expressions--Evangelical Injuntion--Ecclesial Duty--Church-Family as a Living Sing of the Kingdom of God--Foundations and Requirements--Church's Self-Understanding--Models of Theological Refection--Sources of Revelation--Prophetic Discernment and Judment--Biblical and Theological Insights and Constants--Pastoral Principals--Pastoral Angle Components--onclusion--Capter Seven--Pastoral Cresendos and Planning for Action--Introduction--Structure and Dynamics of the Praxis of the Church--God's Plan of Love for Humanity--The Salvific Event--The church Mission--Localizing the Totality of the Action of the Church--Pastoral Dimensions--Related Realities and Aspects--Understanding and Application--Directional Statements and Action--Pastoral and Missionary visioning--Pastoral Zeal amd Thirst for Commitment--Trasforming Wretched Situations--Conclusions--General Conclusion--Bibliography--Index.