Pastoral Assembling: Expanding the Notion of Pastoral Imagination

Abstract This article introduces and develops pastoral assembling as a complementary concept to the established notion of pastoral imagination, which has shaped discussions on pastoral learning and agency in practical theology. While pastoral imagination foregrounds the embodied and relational capacity of individual pastors, it remains limited in addressing the distributed and networked nature of pastoral work. Drawing on sociomaterial theories, this study explores how pastoral agency and learning emerge through dynamic networks of human and non-human actors. Two empirical cases from Scandinavian studies are presented to illustrate pastoral assembling: one involving a novice pastor navigating a bereavement situation and another featuring a senior pastor engaging with a scattered rural parish in Sweden. By emphasizing the distributed nature of pastoral agency, the notion of pastoral assembling complements and expands the theological insights of pastoral imagination, offering new pathways for studying and supporting pastoral learning and practice.