Canadian ethnographic study of sources and definitions of theological reflection in pastoral care and counseling

What are the sources and definitions of theological reflection developed by Canadian practitioners of pastoral care and counseling? This study is part of a larger qualitative research project on theological reflection. This research reviews the literature, describes the ethnographic method, and presents the findings with a sample of 75. Main sources are sacred texts, personal experience, experiences of clients, and traditions of faith group. Definitions are meaning making, discovering the divine and discipleship with recommendations for future research listed.     

Wisdom in Pastoral Care and Counseling: What Does it Entail?

The purpose of this article is to suggest richer potential meanings of spiritual wisdom and theological reflection in response to a critical reading of Pamela Cooper-White's book, Shared wisdom: Use of the self in pastoral care and counseling.     

A Cross-Cultural Case for Convergence in Pastoral Thinking and Training

This article argues for convergence of pastoral training models as a consequence of the pluralistic nature of contemporary life. It proposes a more active partnership between pastoral disciplines in an attempt to bring wholeness to pastoral service and to pastoral education in a multicultural context. Pastoral counseling, pastoral care and pastoral ministry are presented as mutually complementary and as under girded by the same pastoral theological principle of genuine encounter. Since pastoral theology is informed by personal experience, the author illustrates his points by reference to personal cross-cultural experience. This article is an adaptation of a paper delivered at a multicultural conference in Seoul, Korea in November 2008.     

Teaching Theological Reflection Well,Reflecting on Writing as a Theological Practice

Abstract. In order to teach theological reflection well, it is necessary to teach students how to write it well. This paper probes the writing of theological reflection as a rhetorical process and a theological practice by (1) situating theological reflection broadly within a “correlation” model, adapted for theological writers; (2) identifying two “generic” styles of theological reflection papers, the pastoral reflection paper and the systematic reflection paper; (3) following a writer's progress as she writes a one‐page pastoral reflection paper and constructs a working theology in the process of writing it. In conclusion, the correlation‐based “Reflecting on Paper” process provides a pedagogical bridge between the writing and teaching of “pastoral” and “systematic” theological reflection, and exemplifies the dynamic interplay between teaching theological reflection and reflecting on writing as a theological practice.     

Keeping and sharing: confidentiality in ministry

What ethical norms regarding confidentiality are applied by ministers in their professional practice? In this essay conventional ethical assumptions about confidentiality in ministry, taken from the work of Gaylord Noyce, are compared with the experiences, attitudes, and expectations of ordered and lay members of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada in two Canadian regions. The similarities and differences are then compared and contrasted with more contemporary theories. The study concludes that most people in the two denominations studied borrowed their ethical norms from the counseling context. Most subjects thought of confidentiality in terms of the beneficial therapeutic effects of keeping the secrets but they also articulated alternative theological grounds for maintaining confidences. Different expectations about how information is to be handled also reveal deeper theological and ecclesiological conflicts over the appropriateness of debriefing with members of the congregation. Differences between rural and urban congregations were revealed in the example of public prayer as an occasion for the breaking of a confidence.     

Chaplain, soldier, counselor, pilgrim

The author offers examples of supervision drawing on object relations therapy and Christian faith, doctrine, and life, designed to facilitate theological integration of pastoral identity and clinical practice in the training of U.S. Army Family Life Chaplains. Therapeutic and supervisory relationships are conceived of as dia-Logos encounters requiring the same degree of ascetical sobriety, presence, and vulnerability as prayer and worship. Concepts of therapeutic aggression, functional atheism, and "not knowing" are linked with on-going self-examination and repentance stimulated by empathic engagement of clients as primary ingredients for spiritual growth and effective pastoral counseling.     

Incarnation and pastoral care

This essay is an examination of the usefulness of incarnation as a theological metaphor for pastoral care and counseling. Understanding the incarnation as both an event and as a paradigm of God's relationship to the world provides a theological perspective for examining four interrelated questions about identity and the helping relationship frequently asked by the pastoral care-giver. The incarnation metaphor finally frees us to care in the confidence that in God the Incarnating One, all things, including our care for the sick, are held together.Dr. Anderson is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling at Wartburg Theological Seminary, 333 Wartburg Place, Dubuque, Iowa 52001.     

The Theological Contributions of Bishop K. H. Ting to Christian/Pastoral Counseling

As China enters an era of urbanization and change, mental health issues are increasingly becoming a concern of the Christian church. Pastoral counseling is taking new shape as people of faith respond to those in their midst in need of care. Bishop K. H. Ting, a long-time leader of the Chinese church, has stressed the importance of an indigenous Chinese Christianity. This article is based on an examination of Bishop Ting’s theological writing with the aim of eliciting themes that might be foundational in the construction of inherently Chinese models of pastoral counseling. Based on a survey of his work, six themes emerge with particular importance for pastoral counseling: the Three-Self church, God is Love, the Cosmic Christ, ethical responsibility, theological reconstruction, and religion in society. These themes are explored within their uniquely Chinese context and suggestions for application to the practice of pastoral counseling are discussed. Original publication: Wang, P. (Ed.) (2006). Seeking Truth in Love. Nanjing, China: Nanjing Seminary Press. This essay was originally published in a collection of essays honoring Bishop K. H. Ting on his 90th birthday. Bishop Ting has been the head of the Chinese Protestant church for over five decades and his leadership has profoundly shaped Chinese theology and church life. The purpose of this essay is to explore how his collected theological writings might inform a uniquely Chinese approach to pastoral counseling. This article is published with the permission of the original publisher.     

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.     

Prayer,Self‐Examination,and Christian Catechesis in Augustine and Luther

Augustine and Luther are well known for their self‐examinations of religious experience, especially its trials and temptations. Their theologies of prayer offer a distinctive window into this self‐examination because they traverse the juncture between doctrine and practice, thereby addressing both the theological and pastoral concerns on sin and grace at the heart of their discussions of religious experience. While emanating from their personal spiritual lives, their theologies of prayer also are firmly rooted within the corporate context of the church and Christian catechesis.     

Reciprocal maturities: Spirit and psyche in pastoral counseling and spiritual direction

This article uses a model for integrating spiritual and psychological maturity (Conn, 1989) in theological anthropology to contend that there is a reciprocal relationship not only between spiritual and psychological maturity but also between pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. I review Christian spirituality in terms of maturity in relationship: to self, to others, and to God. Next is an examination of the prevailing attitude in pastoral counseling toward spirituality and spiritual direction. Then Conn's integration is assessed — of spirituality with psychology, of spiritual direction with pastoral counseling — as a combination of spiritual and hermeneutical perspectives on the maturing self.     

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.     

The Use of Prayer to Manage Anger: Do Characteristics of the Emotional Experience Matter?

Research has established that individuals use prayer to manage negative emotions, yet little is known about how the characteristics of individuals’ emotional experiences—such as how long the emotions last and the source of emotions—influence the use of this emotion management strategy. Using data from the 1996 General Social Survey emotion module (N = 1114), we evaluate the extent to which the use of prayer to manage anger is associated with: the intensity, source, and duration of negative emotions experienced; reflection on the negative emotion-inducing incident; and perceived appropriateness of emotional reaction. Estimated logistic regression models show that characteristics of emotional experiences (except perceived appropriateness) are significantly associated with the use of prayer to manage anger. The analyses reveal that the appropriateness of using prayer to manage negative emotions varies based on specific aspects of the emotional experience, carrying implications for interventions such as pastoral counseling or anger management programs.     

Mapping the terrain of pastoral psychology

Pastoral psychology has, over the course of the past century, undergone substantial transformation. Changes in the territory warrant, if not require, a thoroughly revised map. This essay approaches pastoral psychology as an interdisciplinary enterprise, a bridge discipline unifying three diverse, integrally related angles of vision: as a specialized field of theology (or theological studies), a specialized field or kind of psychology (or psychological studies), and a practical-clinical enterprise. The need to systematize the field as well as demonstrate its complex relations with cognate areas recommends approaching pastoral psychology, ultimately, as theological: as a dimension of pastoral theology, a kind of practical theology, which integrates practice-theory (praxis) and research; involves religious-theological and psychological domains of experiences, patterns of behavior, and forms of reflection; and maintains a focus on the understanding and care of persons across intrapsychic, familial, community, and cultural levels.     

Self Psychology and End of Life Pastoral Care

This paper explores salient concepts of Heinz Kohut's self psychology in relation to pastoral caregiving with dying persons and family members. Examination of a principle case study and other relevant clinical examples illumines the discussion. It is argued that the principles of Kohut's psychology can critically inform pastoral theological reflection. Strengths and limitations are considered throughout the analysis, and gestures are made toward beneficial end of life pastoral theological practices for clients and practitioners.     

Intimate Violence Against Women: Trajectories for Pastoral Care in a New Millennium

This article reviews progress made in the theory and practice of pastoral care and counseling with regard to the issue of intimate violence against women since the 1970’s. It includes a comprehensive survey of sociological, psychological, and pastoral literature, and a summary of research on teaching about domestic violence in mainline Protestant seminaries. Social and theological themes, including gender, power, and social and political context, and the challenges of justice-making are traced historically. The article concludes with new recommendations for churches, pastoral caregivers, counselors, and theologians.     

Theology and pastoral counseling: A client's viewpoint

Although in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the correlation of theology and pastoral care and counseling, most writings have only given the pastor's perspective. Presented here is a theological poem written some two years after depression began to plague Rachel Hansen. She describes not only her view of the pastor and the counseling process, but also the impact of the counseling on her theology and faith.Dr. Stone is Professor of Pastoral Care and Pastoral Psychology at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129.     

Situating System and Giving Self Its Due: A Story-Based Counseling Model

This essay explores Michael P. Nichols' criticism of certain aspects of the family systems therapeutic model, especially his concern that it takes insufficient account of the self in the family system. Building on Nichols' argument, and noting the paradigm shift occurring among family therapists from systems to story thinking, the essay sets forth a story model of counseling having four primary postulates: (a) possibilities for change are inherent in every story told; (b) characters in stories are always more than their ascribed social roles; (c) systems or dyadic and triadic relationships are a property of stories; and (d) the self is both a constituent of stories and exists independently of them. The importance of autobiographical studies to mediate pastoral theology's theoretical interest in theological anthropology and the story model of pastoral counseling is noted but not explored in depth.     

Ethical reflection and pastoral care,part I

Many authors are calling pastoral counseling to give greater attention to issues of morality and ethics in the healing ministries. This article summarizes the main positions in theological ethics and argues that the ethic of character is the most appropriate form for the practice of pastoral counseling.Professor Poling is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Bethany Theological Seminary, Oak Brook, IL 60521. Part II of his article will appear in the Spring, 1984 issue.     

Clinical pastoral education as professional training: some entrance, curriculum and assessment implications

Clinical Pastoral Education is professional training for pastoral care. This paper compares CPE against the professional training model. While limiting the discussion to Christian pastoral care, the professional education model suggests a clarification of the trainee's theological and other entry requirements for a basic unit, a more thoughtful provision of information during CPE training, a careful attention to group membership and an appropriate integration with the theological curriculum. It also suggests more specific competency standards and more reliable, valid and objective assessment methods.