title: Space in the Trinity and in pastoral care.
abstract: A central feature of the life of the Trinity is contrast without conflict: God is three and God is one. This dynamic has a spatial reference. The Three draw close to each other in the intimacy of love, but they also give each other space to be. This dynamic is a necessary condition for mature relationships on the human level. It is argued that effective pastoral counseling involves both moving in close through empathy and acceptance, and creating appropriate distance through a process that Martin Buber refers to as confirmation. Confirmation involves wrestling with the other person to help her or him actualize her or his God-given moral and spiritual potential.
authors.affiliation: The School of History, Philosophy, Religion, and Classics University of Queensland, Australia. n.pembroke@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pembroke
mesh_terms: D002410:Catholicism; D002977:Clergy / Q000523:psychology*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000379:methods*; D011361:Professional Competence; D012068:Religion and Medicine