Today's pastors — often expected to be multitasking marvels who can make their churches "successful" — are understandably confused about their role. Craig Barnes contends that the true calling of a pastor is to help others become fully alive in Christ, to be a "minor poet," or poet of the soul. As such, pastors are to read the major poets of Scripture and history in light of the dust and grit of daily parish life. The Pastor as Minor Poet eloquently calls pastors to search for a deeper understanding of what they see — both in the text of Scripture and in the text of their parishioners' lives. A critical part of this poetic vision involves discerning key subtexts beneath these texts, which allows pastors to preach the heart of the Word and to understand the hearts of their people. Written with a seasoned pastor's depth of understanding and a poet's sensibility and sensitivity, this book will minister to and inspire pastors everywhere.