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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page book review on Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders by Edward L. Smither. The writer argues that this text is fine as a biography but does not deliver on the promise of the title. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khaugmen.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Father who continues to fascinate scholars, students and lay Christians. However, the reader, a busy pastor, for example, who selects this book in hopes of discovering concrete guidance formulated by
Augustine himself that can aid the pastor either in mentoring others or in feeling "mentored" by this venerable church leader will be severely disappointed. As this suggests, Smithers stated intention
is never fully realized. Smither asserts, "While he did not leave behind a particular manual for how to be a spiritual leader, his example and writings provide significant evidence toward
understanding his principles of mentoring" (Smither 2). Examination of the text supports the assessment that this purpose is not achieved by the author. The book is divided into six sections
(5 chapters and an epilogue). In the first chapter, Smither delineates the focus of this book, which makes it clear that he is focusing on Augustines effect on the male
spiritual leaders of his era, which should not be taken as meaning that Augustine did not also influence women (Smither 4). In this chapter, Smither discusses the subject of mentoring,
which includes the topic of discipleship, in the first century in general terms. This discussion is scholarly and informative, and the reader feels that Smither is setting the stage for
the bulk of his presentation. However, he devotes the second chapter to setting the "stage of Augustines mentoring of spiritual leaders by examining some examples of mentoring that took place
in the church in the third and fourth centuries" (Smither 24). In the third chapter, "Who Mentored Augustine?" the author discusses the influences on Augustines life and then, finally, in
the fourth chapter, he addresses "Augustines Approach to Mentoring" (Smither 125). This is the longest and most informative chapter in the book. The authors explains that Augustine had "relationships
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