Fit to Be a Pastor: A Guide to Personal and Professional Fitness

Comments

1. Guest

   March 6, 2015 at 12:00 am

   On time and as described

2. Guest

   April 5, 2007 at 12:00 am

   Lloyd Rediger is an ordained clergyman in the Presbyterian Church (USA) whose expertise lies in clergy counseling, leadership, and health. He has written several books that are intended to help pastors who are in difficult situations and to help them be more effective servant-leaders in their parish. \\”Fit to be a Pastor\\” is a book that could easily fit into either category; Rediger points out that the level of un-fitness in many pastors creates a dangerous situation for them and fitness tends to help a person be a more effective pastor.

   Although, as Rediger makes clear, unfit, unhealthy lifestyles are not unique to pastors, he does recognize that pastors are in a unique position to lead others toward holistic health. Further, since Rediger already enjoys a following among clergymen, he writes this books specifically to them. Rediger defines fitness as having three dimensions: physical health (nutrition, exercise, and relaxation), mental health (knowledge, wisdom, interpersonal relationships, and reflection), and spiritual health (connecting with God through active and meditative means, alone and in groups)

   This author appreciated the tone in which Rediger wrote \\”Fit to be a Pastor.\\” Many health-related books (especially physical health related books) tend to use guilt as a motivator or \\”talk up\\” the wonderful benefits of regular exercise and dietary health. Rediger does not use these tactics. He realizes that many physical health programs fail because the lifestyle change is too drastic and the fun of health is thus sucked out of the program. Rather than take this route, Rediger purposefully attempts to include elements of curiosity, excitement and exploration. This upbeat, intrinsically motivated tone is carried throughout the book–through chapters on spiritual health, mental health, healing, and the like.

   The advice, techniques, and suggestions that Rediger presents throughout the book were \\”hit and miss\\” with this reader. Much of this appears to stem from the fact that Rediger and I have different personalities. I tend to me more introverted, analytical, and concrete-minded while Rediger seems to be more people-oriented, experiential, and appreciative of subjective beauty. Thus while I can appreciate the wisdom in much of his advice, I recognized that if I were to try some of it, it would be like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

   Most problematic for this reader was the chapter on spiritual health. Rediger gravitates toward subjective, emotional spirituality that only presented Jesus Christ as an example to be emulated or the embodiment of good things. Thus, spiritual exercises tended to be emotionally and subjectively based. One example includes envisioning yourself receiving blessings from your fellow man (and standing with outstretched arms in a receptive position), then giving them your blessings (and standing in a corresponding position). I’m not exactly sure how this is supposed to strengthen your faith in Christ or understanding of his great work, so I have reservations recommending this book based on those reasons. For those with a more objective, Christ-centered religious bent, I would suggest \\”Two Ways of Praying\\” by Paul Bradshaw or \\”They Shall See His Face\\” by Richard Eyer.

   In all, I would mildly recommend this book because the good tends to outbalance the not-so-good. This is a timely topic, it treats health holistically, it adequately fills an academic void in Christian/theological scholarship, and (even if you don’t adopt the entire book) provides a great deal of encouragement and ideas for you to get started on your own quest for fitness.is reader. Much of this appears to stem from the fact that Rediger and I have different personalities. I tend to me more introverted, analytical, and concrete-minded while Rediger seems to be more people-oriented, experiential, and appreciative of subjective beauty. Thus while I can appreciate the wisdom in much of his advice, I recognized that if I were to try some of it, it would be like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

   Most problematic for this reader was the chapter on spiritual health. Rediger gravitates toward subjective, emotional spirituality that only presented Jesus Christ as an example to be emulated or the embodiment of good things. Thus, spiritual exercises tended to be emotionally and subjectively based. One example includes envisioning yourself receiving blessings from your fellow man (and standing with outstretched arms in a receptive position), then giving them your blessings (and standing in a corresponding position). I’m not exactly sure how this is supposed to strengthen your faith in Christ or understanding of his great work, so I have reservations recommending this book based on those reasons. For those with a more objective, Christ-centered religious bent, I would suggest \\”Two Ways of Praying\\” by Paul Bradshaw or \\”They Shall See His Face\\” by Richard Eyer.

   In all, I would mildly recommend this book because the good tends to outbalance the not-so-good. This is a timely topic, it treats health holistically, it adequately fills an academic void in Christian/theological scholarship, and (even if you don’t adopt the entire book) provides a great deal of encouragement and ideas for you to get started on your own quest for fitness.

3. Guest

   May 27, 2001 at 12:00 am

   This is indeed a great resource – not only for pastors, but seminarians and even congregations. At last I found a book for persons of faith that not only addresses the spiritual health, but that of the mind and the body. This book without a doubt delivers a concise road map to nurturing all three elements of the personhood in a frank, clear and helpful manner.
   The book is also written in a very non-denominational style so that it would be as applicable to a Catholic Priest, Evangelical Pastor or Mainline Reverend.
   If you are a Pastor or Priest, a seminarian or layperson looking to improve their overall health – buy this book!