Pastoral counseling as a spiritual practice: an exercise in a theology of spirituality

The author explores reasons for differentiating pastoral care from spiritual care and presents a theological exercise in articulating pastoral counseling as a spiritual practice. Viewing spirituality from systemic and constructivist perspectives, the author utilizes Paul Tillich's ontology of polarities. He describes spirituality as a subjective, "fuzzy," and inclusive concept and argues for the need for pastoral specialists to theologically articulate their ministry not only as a pastoral but also as a spiritual discipline.     

Family stress theory: A perspective on pastoral care

This article reviews crisis theory from family stress literature and research from medical sociology to advance a rationale for clinical pastoral care of seriously ill patients and families. It describes Reuben Hill's A,B,C,X crisis model and offers it as a conceptual framework for understanding the psychosocial experiences of families facing illness and the role of pastoral care in the coping process.     

The Discipline and Habit of Theological Reflection

This article describes the process of theological reflection and the necessity of its practice in the formation of pastoral identity and development of ministry. Drawing upon the philosophy of C.S. Peirce, pastoral theology of the past twenty-five years, and the authors' clinical and classroom experiences, the essay illuminates the distinctive work of pastoral care givers that makes them unique in health care settings.     

Genetic science and pastoral care

Important advances in the field of genetic science have raised new and challenging pastoral issues. This article describes the nature of genetic screening and artificial fertilization and follows each with the relevant pastoral implications.     

Pastoral care and miscarriage: A ministry long neglected

Ministers often are estranged from the loss experience of women who miscarry. This paper gives medical information about such spontaneous abortions, describes several factors that shape the woman's experience, and explores possible pastoral response.Swanee Hunt is a candidate for Th.D. in pastoral care and counseling at Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado. She is part of an ecumenical ministry team that serves both a Presbyterian church community and a Catholic church community.     

Clinical pastoral education (CPE) on the prairie

While the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) method is usually employed in the health care setting and pointed toward the pastoral care of the sick, it can be adapted to the pastoral care and supervision of students doing ministry in the political, economic, and cultural systems of the rural community. In this article, the author, who speaks from thirty years of experience as a CPE supervisor in small towns in eastern South Dakota, describes his approach, an approach that emphasizes immersion in the general systems of struggling communities on the Great Plains. From his experience, he derives ten practical lessons that are applicable to CPE work in the rural context or in any pastoral setting.     

Dragon talk: providing pastoral care for Chinese immigrants

This article describes how cultures and pastoral care education processes can be barriers between the patient, the pastoral caregiver, and the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) student. By providing sketches of interviews with Chinese patients, the author tries to explain why the attempt to unveil Chinese patients' feelings and needs through conversation can be a frustrating experience. Moreover, the author argues that the pedagogy of pastoral care education ought to be more culturally sensitive in regard to the diverse cultural backgrounds of both patients and CPE students.     

Present status and future prospects in pastoral theology

The article cites three factors which help to understand where the field of Pastoral Theology currently finds itself. It describes five trends which include possibilities and pitfalls for the field: evangelicalism and pietism, expansion of the guilds, a broader definition of pastoral care, the moral dimensions of pastoral care, and family relations emphasis. The article concludes with suggestions for realization of the possibilities and avoidance of the pitfalls.     

The perception of God in pastoral counseling

Many people who go to pastoral counselors for help have a perception of God that is psychospiritually unhelpful, if not damaging. Four examples of unhelpful God-perceptions are discussed: God is vengeful; God is needy; God is our caretaker; and God is our tutor. Pastoral examples of the negative consequences of each of these God-perceptions is given. The article ends with a section which describes the pastoral implications of unhelpful God-perceptions.     

Pastoral counseling in a settled community

Much of the literature in pastoral counseling has been written against the backdrop of an anonymous, changing, technological, and urban community setting. The author contrasts the premium this understanding of counseling places on establishing relationships, confidentiality, gaining information through questions, and the long training required with the way these same matters may be understood from the vantage point of a more settled community, characterized by long-term relations, limited confidentiality, and the support lay persons give each other. He discusses the pastor's role change in this setting and describes an approach to training lay men and women to assume pastoral care responsibility.     

Pastoral Care and Medical Education

This essay describes how contemporary medical education and pastoral care share historical roots, confront similar pressures and objectives in the formation of future professionals, and address common concerns in the area of bioethics. The essay concludes with a summary of ideas regarding the present and future relationship between medical education and pastoral care. The essay is dedicated to the memory of David P. Rogers, M.D., whose vision of medical education and medical practice embodied a rare passion for justice.     

Contemplation and compassion: the heart of a Franciscan spirituality of clinical pastoral supervision

After five years of supervising CPE modules in two different hospitals in South Africa, a chaplain supervisor reflects on how his Franciscan spirituality had impacted his supervisory ministry. He describes how he was able to narrow the impact to two defining Franciscan qualities: contemplation and compassion. This article explores the relationship between spirituality and clinical pastoral supervision. Then the Franciscan dimension of contemplation and compassion of Franciscan spirituality are considered. Finally some contours of a Franciscan spirituality of clinical pastoral supervision are described.     

A challenge to church leaders: the necessity of supervision for ordained ministers

This article is an explicit challenge to church leaders and ministers of all denominations to take seriously the necessity of obligatory supervision for ordained ministers. To support this challenge, the author describes fundamental principles of pastoral care that found the moral demand for and benefits of the supervision of pastoral practice. Before offering practical suggestions on the implementation of supervision, reasons for the personal and institutional resistance to supervision of ordained ministers are depicted.     

The new pastoral care in Germany

The writer describes the suspicion of psychotherapy in Germany during the 1940's, 50's and into the 60's. A proclamatory orientation to pastoral work eventually proved inadequate and gave way to the now dominant therapeutic understanding of pastoral care. The move was revolutionary and has eventuated in the formation of the German Association for Pastoral Psychology. Various sorts of clinical programs now engage in the training of clergy and in enhancing the skills of other helping professions. Theological concerns remain a dominant concern of the new pastoral care movement on the continent.The research for this essay was gathered while he was a guest of the Provincial Church in Wuerttemberg, 1971–74. During this time, he taught in the church's courses for Vicars and at Tübingen University.     

Avoiding malpractice suits in pastoral counseling

This article advises caution for ministers engaged in pastoral counseling and describes the necessary elements of a successful malpractice suit. Areas of special concern for the counselor are reviewed and guidelines for professional conduct and self-protection are outlined.     

Social pedagogy and pastoral care in schools

In the context of this paper, social pedagogy concerns how a person trained in social pedagogy can take up the role of a trusted and caring adult to help, support and empower troubled and vulnerable pupils to meet the demands they face in their lives so that they are better able to lead fulfilling and satisfying lives and can, in their turn, contribute to the betterment of society. This paper describes the nature of social pedagogy, highlights its origins and practice in mainland Europe, considers some key developments within the current context in England and outlines its implications for pastoral care in schools. There has been a marked growth in social pedagogy as an aspect of professional practice amongst the pastoral care community in England. Its further development will depend on an increasing recognition that pastoral care needs to follow the pupil into the different social settings they inhabit.     

Is Risk Taking a Missing Ingredient in Pastoral Ministry?

This article describes the use of risk taking behaviors to accomplish objectives that, in certain circumstances, the more traditionally accepted practices of pastoral care and counselling, seem unable to achieve alone.     

Pastoral care for the head-injured: A biopsychosocial/spiritual perspective

This article discusses the pastoral role in the individual and family crisis of a head injury. A case study illustrates the nature and consequences of this widespread but little-understood injury. Physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences of this injury are discussed. Finally, this article describes four pastoral responses to head-injured victims and their families: helping the victim to speak the unspeakable, facilitating prayerful imagination, connecting therapeutic efforts among professionals, and advocating for the family with national and community head injury resources.Private Practice, 1542D Honey Grove Dr., Richmond, VA 23229.     

Ethical reflection and pastoral care,part II

A previous article argued for the relevance of theological ethics to pastoral counseling. This article suggests an ethical method with five levels of rationality. These levels enable a practitioner to move from concrete interaction with persons to the most abstract generalizations about the nature of God and human life. Such a method describes a helpful way of bringing theological/ethical concern to counseling in a nonmoralistic style.