In Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls, Coleman Ford and Shawn Wilhite draw on the insights of the Church Fathers to offer a fresh, historically rooted vision for modern pastoral ministry. Their patristic expertise enables them to see important connections between historical theology and contemporary pastoral concerns. The book, therefore, covers both church history and pastoral theology and, in order to show the relevance of the former for the latter, is sprinkled throughout with practical application (e.g., busyness, sermon preparation, scheduling, etc.).

The authors propose a “classical vision” of pastoral ministry built around five pillars: classical theology, virtue, spiritual formation, local focus, and soul care (pp. 7–8, 218–20). This vision pushes back against popular models of pastors as managers or strategists focused primarily on organizational growth (pp. 9–10). In contrast to many contemporary voices, they emphasize the pastor’s role as a doctor of the soul. The book, organized into three sections (spirituality, theology, and ministry), addresses the topics of humility, spiritual formation, sacramentality, textual skill, biblical theology, Christocentrism, theological formation, Trinitarianism, contemplative practices, and preaching. Each chapter pairs a selected theme with the life and teachings of a particular Church Father.

The themes Ford and Wilhite emphasize stand out compared to many modern pastoral books which often leave pastors skilled in the latest business practices but deficient in the central tenets of the faith. The authors show how trinitarian theology, prosopological interpretation, and partitive exegesis are not conversations of a bygone era but central to understanding God and ourselves. While leadership strategies and management skills may have a place in pastoral training, the authors stress that virtues like humility and spiritual formation should take precedence. The priority a pastor places on these elements reveals much about their understanding of ministry.

Some pastors might wonder what second- or third-century church leaders have to offer the modern church. Not bound by contemporary concerns, the Church Fathers offer much-needed perspective. Their temporal and cultural distance allows pastors to step back from current trends and assumptions, helping them distinguish timeless (as opposed to timebound) ministry principles. By engaging with diverse cultural situations from the past, pastors can see how theology was applied in different contexts and better understand how to apply it today. As the authors explain: “Theology should not be purely contextual … but it is always contextualized, applying the timeless truth of God’s word to the timely situations of God’s people” (p. 149).

In a genre too often dominated by business jargon and pragmatic shortcuts, Ford and Wilhite advocate a deeply theological approach to pastoral ministry. Despite the book’s practical focus, the depth of research and potential for further study are evident from the introduction to the footnotes. How much the reader appreciates their “broad, biblical theology of worship” and “charitable view of church history” will no doubt depend on their personal convictions and philosophy of ministry (p. 54). They also engage widely with a variety of contemporary voices—e.g., John Webster, Dallas Willard, Peter Kreeft, Eugene Peterson, Peter Scazzero, Herman Bavinck, Martin Lloyd-Jones, Richard Foster, and more. They are unafraid to engage topics as diverse as Nicene Trinitarianism, exegetical method, expository preaching, and contemplative spirituality.

Along the way, they include helpful and interesting historical summaries of various church fathers, offering the necessary background to their writings. For example, the brief explanation of traditional Roman religious attitudes provides illuminating context for understanding Augustine’s Confessions (p. 143). In addition, the theological discussions are richly articulated and compelling, including a poignant description of the purpose and power of the Lord’s Supper and its significance in the believer’s life (pp. 56–57).

The book’s weaknesses do not lie in its vision of pastoral ministry, historical depth, or theological substance but rather in the limitations of its scope. A book as ambitious as this—which attempts to do justice to ten church fathers as diverse as Irenaeus and Chrysostom, as controversial as Origen, and as prolific as Augustine—inevitability faces challenges. While the authors do not claim comprehensiveness, their selectivity is noticeable. For example, they engage Augustine on his interior life and ordered love of God but avoid discussing his views on baptismal regeneration or purgatory, which many evangelicals find problematic. Similarly, Gregory the Great is discussed for his pastoral care and humility but not his views on asceticism or celibacy. This selective approach fits the book’s aim, which is to expand the conversation while focusing on core doctrinal commitments and leaving aside speculative elements. But, in my view, glossing over the theological complexity of many of the church fathers weakens the book’s potential to offer a genuinely classical vision of pastoral ministry.

Therefore, the degree to which the authors’ vision of pastoral ministry can be considered truly classical is open to debate. Their approach is undoubtedly informed by classical principles and is comparatively classical within the broader evangelical landscape. However, integrating certain modern elements might strike some readers as a departure from the traditional model, while omitting other classical elements may feel like an oversight. This tension raises essential questions about retrieval: Do modern pastoral impulses shape their vision more than the church fathers themselves? Or does the classical vision offer a corrective to modern priorities? These dynamics are not easily untangled, as both ancient and contemporary influences interact in ways both constructive and conflicting. Even so, the vision they present—though eclectic—has a distinct beauty, showcasing how timeless wisdom can engage contemporary pastoral challenges. Whether the church fathers themselves would approve of this selective synthesis, however, is another question entirely.

The breadth of content, eras, and theological disputes covered inevitably results in more cursory treatment of some topics (e.g., the ὁμοούσιος vs. ὁμοιούσιος debate, p. 124). This occasionally creates an uneven style. For instance, the chapter on theology arguably discusses Webster more than Augustine and the role of friendship in pastoral ministry more than theological formation. Similarly, the chapter on preaching almost treats Chrysostom as another example alongside Augustine and Gregory the Great, rather than the central figure. Even with Chrysostom, the focus veers peculiarly into a discussion of singleness and marriage, illustrating a different point from the chapter’s main argument. Likewise, the chapter on Athanasius and Christ-centered ministry excessively discusses Antony and asceticism. While this makes some sense, as The Life of Antony was one of Athanasius’s most famous works, it shifts the discussion away from the chapter’s main focus. In a popular work covering such a vast amount of history and theology, it is understandable that the authors might venture down a few side paths. There is a risk in doing so, however. But thankfully, Ford and Wilhite never lose the plot.

In the end, the authors successfully illustrate a vision of pastoral ministry that draws on the wisdom of the past, using an array of ancient voices in conversation with a diverse group of modern thinkers. This work offers a valuable and timely retrieval of classical pastoral theology, enriching the understanding of the pastoral vocation while addressing contemporary evangelical challenges.