Paul Tripp, a former pastor and the president of Paul Tripp Ministries, carries with him “grief and concern about the state of pastoral culture in our generation” (p. 21). His book, Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry, does exactly as the subtitle indicates: it confronts. As Tripp notes from the outset, the primary goal of this book is not necessarily to instruct or encourage, but to diagnose a problem; a diagnosis that is intended “to make you uncomfortable” (pp. 11–12). This book grew out of Tripp’s own pastoral experience and interaction with hundreds of churches and was written because he “could not live with not writing it” (p. 12).
The Gospel Coalition 2013 National Conference
