Modern Pastoral Practices

Modern Pastoral Practices

How can modern pastoral practices be most effective in the light of biblical teaching? And what is the role of teaching and preaching in it

Pastoral systems may be envisaged as a product of a number of interacting variables: the characteristics of the animals, the environment, and of the human culture. Pastoral practices although seem to diminish with the passage of time, but individuals need to see and understand that the credibility and significance of such pastoral practices are required in order to maintain religious backgrounds and aid individuals to continue living in peace with religious teachings. This paper attempts to advance our understanding of the environmental factors constraining animal husbandry on the prehistoric Eurasian steppe, an area that exhibits a broad range of environmental conditions, through comparisons of data on archaeological animal bone assemblages and historic and current herd compositions (specifically the proportions of cattle, sheep/goats and horse).

There are strong biases towards different churches dependent on region. The consistencies between the later prehistoric animal bone data and the modern and historic livestock herd compositions indicate the constraining role of the environment on the pastoral economies practiced across the Eurasian steppe, in that pastoral strategies appear to be focusing on species best adapted to localized environments. Other patterns may be indicative of socioeconomic trends, such as the relatively low proportions of horse herded in modern times. Understanding and comprehending the accounts of pastoral practices that prevail today are significantly different from what hails with reference to its actual objective.

The results indicate variability in herd compositions across the study area being influenced in part by regional climatic, topographical and ecological conditions. Thus, it is suggested, that part of the variability seen in herd compositions is environmentally determined, with herders making decisions based on the animals' biological and behavioural characteristics. Better understanding of the environmental constraints on pastoral economies will enable us to address a range of questions relating to past pastoralists, and allow us to better assess the cultural factors at play.

In the world, today, the institution of the church has become the greatest liability and the most serious impediment to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Among Christians today, the church as we see it and encounter it has become our greatest idol and the most serious barrier preventing us fulfilling the actual mission of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of people are being born into our unchurched, anti-Christian society every day, and the relevance and influence of the modern Christian church is diminishing at the same rate the population is growing. That is not the case in some places around the world, but in most western nations and our great land in particular, the church is loved by a few, tolerated by some, ignored by most and despised by a growing number of people.

The very solid Christian roots in our history as a nation, in our constitution, and our systems of law and government have been forgotten, ignored or even refuted by the vast majority of people ...