"I teach 'compassionate (or nonviolent) communication,' a model of communication that facilitates honest expression and empathy between people, especially those in conflict," she explained. "Compassionate communication is essentially a spiritual practice, a way of being in the world that helps us live with integrity and care."

Theresa Latini
Assistant Professor of Congregational and Community Care

It is the faculty and students who drew Theresa Latini to Luther Seminary. "One of my mentors once told me, 'You are only as good as the people with whom you surround yourself,'" she said. This advice guided her decision to teach at Luther. "Here, faculty and students creatively engage in scholarship grounded in the riches of Protestant theology, and the administration supports the development of innovative programs that serve the church in an ever-changing world."

She is excited about her new role. "I'm thrilled to be working with such a diverse student body," said Latini. "I consider it a privilege to teach students who will become global church leaders, students from numerous countries in Africa and Asia. I learn from them about pastoral care in their own contexts, which then enhances my teaching of our North American students who will serve in an increasingly multi-cultural and globally connected context."

She hopes to give students a greater understanding of their influence as preachers. "I want students to understand that 'who they are' teaches, preaches, and cares,'" she said. "There will be perplexing ministry situations for which they have no immediate answers, but there is a way of being with and for people that corresponds to the Gospel."

"I teach 'compassionate (or nonviolent) communication,' a model of communication that facilitates honest expression and empathy between people, especially those in conflict," she explained. "Compassionate communication is essentially a spiritual practice, a way of being in the world that helps us live with integrity and care."

Latini also hopes that students learn from her "that pastoral care involves more than counseling individuals and families. It involves caring for congregations, equipping church members to care for each other and helping to create an ethos of faith, hope, and love," she said. "It involves caring for communities outside the church, and it involves caring for the Christian tradition, thinking carefully about how theology is spiritual medicine. In this sense, pastoral care is both missional and confessional."