Date: October 25, 2024
A book is a labor of love. It lives with you. You think about the themes, shape, and argument of a book while you are taking a walk, dining alone, or working out at the health club. When, finally, it is bound ready to be read, it generates feelings of relief and joy.
Dr. Strout is on a roll. He has written several books since joining the Faculty of Virginia Theological Seminary. His latest book is the best kind – practical, useful for alums, and beautifully put together.
Shawn’s book is called Shepherding Souls. You can buy it here. It is a handbook that provides a resource for the pastoral offices – baptism, confirmation, marriage, reconciliation of the penitent, ministration to the sick, and burial. Every chapter places the rite in an appropriate historical context and then takes the reader through the relevant pastoral and liturgical issues. It is truly a great book. Congratulations Shawn!
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary