This Book is Reviewed by Celia P. Munson, M.Div., DPS

“Cave Walker” may seem a strange title for a book on pastoral care. The title draws from the analogy of Plato regarding the man who is chained in a cave facing a wall who only sees shadows that play on the surface in front of him. Plato suggests that person (the “cave dweller”) would assume these shadows are reality. Hernandez takes this illustration to show a pastoral care provider as one who walks unfettered in the cave with the one chained to help not only to be liberated, but also to see the world as it is— not merely a shadow of itself. While this was her main reason for using the term, she also noted that many pastors she knew were also drawn to the term through the story of Elijah in the cave on Mount Horeb (II Kings 19). In that story, it is God who is in the cave with Elijah providing comfort and hopeful counsel as the “cave walker” to the prophet who was reduced through fear to being the cave dweller. Perhaps the link of the term to both philosophy and religion itself informs us that this book embraces a form of ministry that integrates ministering to the spirit and the mind.

For Hernandez, the ideal “cave walker” does not identify as a curer, or as an expert, but as an informed companion. This companion does not walk ahead of the care receiver, or behind, but alongside. Such a person is a diligent reader of the “cave dweller.” The “cave walker” must listen intently to the stories, the hurts, the hopes, the fears of the other. She must use herself as part of the healing process understanding the importance of the ministries of presence and relationship in the healing journey.

Hernandez follows the pattern established by Anton T. Boisen, the fonder of the Clinical Pastoral Movement. Boisen intentionally sought to integrate the psychodynamic work of people such as Sigmund Freud and Harry Stack Sullivan, with theology. Boisen saw religious faith as a potential source of strength or healing, as well a a potential source of personal or relational harm.

Robert Dykstra in his book “Images of Pastoral Care” gives several metaphors to describe the complex role of a pastoral care provider. Among these are “Wounded Healer,” “Hopeful Gardner,” “Intimate Stranger,” “Circus Clown,” and “Wise Fool.” This reviewer believes that “Cave Walker” could join some of these other metaphors for informing this calling.

This reviewer strongly recommends that CPE trainees and pastoral care providers read this book. The book itself is short— approximately 70 pages— and much of it includes stories of the “cave dwellers” Francine Hernandez have encountered through her ministry. In these stories, she has shown herself as the “cave walker” reflecting on her own personal experiences to walk with them with empathy. As such, the book could be described as an “easy read.” Easy, however, does not suggest simplistic or trivial. It is in the stories where some of the most challenging aspects of pastoral care are illustrated.

The book describes a dynamic process that mirrors St. Paul’s word to the Church of Corinth where he speaks of

“The Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all Comfort, who comforts in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we orselves are comforted by God.” -II Corinthians 1:3b-4.

<Francine Hernandez is a Diplomate Supervisor with the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) and former Baptist pastor. This review was originally published in the 2025 edition of the Bukal Life Journal. The journal may be found by CLICKING HERE.>