In this article, the author considers pastoral listening in relation to the sufferings associated with living in a neoliberal Anthropocene age. He takes this up because he believes many people preparing for ministry are unaware of how abstract macro realities such as neoliberalism and global warming concretely undermine the well-being of people within and outside the church, synagogue, or mosque. Students who are aware of these realities may struggle with how to integrate this knowledge into specific pastoral interventions. To make his case, the author briefly describes what he means by neoliberalism and the Anthropocene age and indicates why these are inextricably joined. He then identifies the kinds of suffering that arise from living in a neoliberal Anthropocene age. Knowledge of these macrosystems, which are sources of suffering for many people, alters how one gives counsel, which is parsed into two moments—the immediate pastoral context and the context of community. In each moment, the pastoral minister serves as a compassionate, prophetic, interpretive witness and guide.
