Church and MinistryPastoral Care and Counseling

PC501. Introduction to Pastoral Care

Fall and spring. Credit, three hours. (Ellison, Scheib, Lartey)

Introduction to caregiving dimensions of ministry through theological and psychosocial analysis of personal, family, and congregational need, and on principles and methods of care in response to them. Prerequisite for other pastoral care courses. (Introductory Arts of Ministry) (PC501CE when offered as a Contextualized Introductory Arts of Ministry course with Con Ed I)

PC502. Pastoral Care in Congregation and Community

Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course approaches pastoral care as an ecclesial practice. The specific context of care is the congregation. Students will be introduced to the literature, theory and practices of pastoral care as a part of the church’s redemptive ministry, as well as basic practices of pastoral care as dimensions of congregational ministry.

PC610. Crisis Ministry

Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: PC501 or permission of instructor. (Faculty)

Psychological, social, pastoral, and theological dimensions of crisis, death, loss, grief and bereavement, and hope will be explored. Attention is given to both individual and communal forms of crisis, trauma, and loss, as well as the cultural and social contexts in which these events occur. Strategies for pastoral care in specific situations of crises will be developed in light of pastoral theological reflection.

PC615. Theological Dimensions of Pastoral Care

Credit, three hours. May require PC501 as a prerequisite depending on the topic. (Faculty)

Topics in the theological interpretation and critique of psychologies and methods employed in pastoral care and counseling, theological perspectives on selected pastoral problems, and the nature of pastoral theology as a theological discipline in ministry. (PC615CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)

PC620. Short-Term Counseling in the Parish

Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: PC501 or permission of instructor. (Faculty)

This course provides an introduction to basic principles of short-term, structured pastoral counseling in the parish, with special attention to pastoral assessment and the ministry of referral. (P620CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)

PC628. Care for Marginalized Populations

Credit, three hours. (Ellison)

This course garners “expert” wisdom from scholars with distinct disciplinary perspectives who have variously considered the nature and power of human hope and the potential threats to hope faced by marginalized populations and the caregivers who seek to aid them. Young African American men will serve as the primary lens to investigate the problem of threatened hope, muteness, and invisibility. However, care for other unacknowledged groups including, but not limited to the imprisoned, the homeless, and the elderly will be discussed. (Race, Ethnicity, and Gender)

PC630. Pastoral Care of Adolescents

Credit, three hours. (Ellison)

This seminar mines theoretical, clinical, and literary resources to examine and care for the interior lives and embodied selves of adolescents in church and community. Consideration is given to the adolescent self in various cultural and socioeconomic contexts to heighten student awareness and responsiveness to adolescent crises and needs in diverse situations. Case studies derived from young adult literature, music, and film will be incorporated throughout. (PC630CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)

PC640. Pastoral Care of Women: International Perspectives

Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: PC501 or permission of instructor. (Faculty)

This course examines the impact of issues facing women in both church and society, such as women’s development, sexual and physical abuse, self-esteem, aging, and gender roles on the practice of pastoral care and counseling. The primary theoretical resources for this course are feminist and womanist pastoral theologies and theories of care. (Race, Ethnicity, and Gender)

PC645. Spiritual Care in African Religious Traditions

Credit, three hours. (Lartey) (Same as WR645.)

The course will examine how spiritual care is conceptualized and practiced in various African religious traditions including African-derived religions in South and Central America, the Caribbean and in North America. We will spend the first part of the course gaining theoretical grounding in African religious thought and philosophy. The second part focuses on African traditional medicine, divination, rituals and practices of care. We will examine African healing systems, concepts of disease, traditional concepts of mental health, traditional beliefs and interpretations of various illnesses as well as traditional healing and practices of medical and spiritual care. We will also explore some of the myths surrounding traditional healing in Africa. In the final part of the course African American and other African diasporan folk traditional understandings and practices of healing and spiritual care in the Americas and the Caribbean will be explored. (Race, Ethnicity, and Gender)

PC650. International Perspectives on Pastoral Care

Credit, three hours. (Lartey)

This course enables participants to examine pastoral care practices in different cultural and regional contexts. Key questions consider what can be learned for pastoral care and ministry in particular contexts through the exploration of practices in different places. By means of detailed explorations of case studies, students engage in social, socioeconomic, cultural, and pastoral analysis of contextual issues in pastoral care practice and ministry. The course builds students’ skills in empathy, interpathy, social and cultural analysis, and theological reflection with a view to strengthening the practice of intercultural pastoral care. (PC650CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)

PC655. Care of Souls, Care of World

Credit, three hours. (Ellison)

Scholars. Activists. Ministers. Ideally these roles are complementary, yet seldom is that the case. When these leaders gather for collaborative exchange, the perils of paternalism, territorialism, and fear must be overcome. Lacking a framework to circumvent stalemates, they may succumb to the temptation of retreating to familiar theories, practices, and dogmas. These conversational impasses leave churches and communities devoid of leadership that integrates intellect, faith, and prophetic service. How might the wisdom of notable social movements, religious visionaries, and mystical traditions inform leaders to live undivided lives, forge unlikely partnerships, and catalyze sustainable change? Using a full-sensory pedagogy and drawing upon the wisdom of master practitioners, this course examines the life and work of 20th- and 21st-century faith leaders who defy the reductionist categories of scholar, activist, and minister by equally valuing the epistemic quality of theory, community engagement, and “faith-full” practice. The historical and global perspectives of these leaders offer invaluable frameworks for vocational discernment, care of souls, and care of world. (Race, Ethnicity, and Gender)

PC698. Special Topics in Pastoral Care

Credit, variable. (Faculty)

Special topic or one-time offering courses led by Candler regular and visiting faculty. Prerequisites may be required and are noted on the course schedule when applicable.