Life-coaching within the context of Pastoral Theology

Abstract

This thesis explores the phenomenon of life coaching within the context of Pastoral Theology. The problem that the study addresses is that people involved in the Christian helping professions are equipped with counselling skills, but they are not equipped with the life-coaching skills available to assist people with the planning, implementation and feedback processes necessary to experience personal and spiritual growth in their lives. The purpose of the thesis is to determine how a model that can facilitate the knowledge and skills necessary for life coaching within the context of Pastoral Theology can be developed. This purpose is perpetuated by completing four research tasks, namely to define the concept of life coaching, to determine the life-coaching models used by pastors and Christian coaches, to determine how Pastoral Theology can influence a model for life coaching and to develop a pastoral life-coaching model. This qualitative study falls within a social constructivist paradigm and uses the descriptive-empirical, interpretive, normative and pragmatic tasks, as expounded in the research model of Osmer (2008). It also refers to the six aspects of organising principles in the conceptual framework of Dickoff et al. (1968), namely agent, recipient, context, dynamics, procedure and outcome or destiny, during the process of model-building. The research relies on a systematic literature review to gather data that will be analysed by identifying codes, categories and themes. The information and data gained from analysing five existing Christian life-coaching models, will be considered in developing the life-coaching model. Ultimately, the thesis anticipates developing a life-coaching model that can facilitate the knowledge and skills necessary for pastoral life coaching.