bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Being One with the Spirit: Dimensions of a Mystical Experience
Authors: Kacela Xolani
Published: May 2015

Mystical experience has intrigued both religious and non-religious persons for centuries. Several elements of mystical experience have been identified by scholars of the psychology of religion. This essay explores those critical elements and appropriates them in developing a theological anthropology. This understanding is expanded using the framework of the mystic, Howard Thurman, who argued that true mysticism leads to responsible action. Together these components form the basis for a pastoral theological framework for mystical experience.
Chaplaincy Research: A Case Study
Authors: Bay Paul , Ivy Steven S.
Published: May 2015

The authors report the pragmatic elements of conducting an empirical chaplaincy research project. The article offers the step-by-step process of implementing, coordinating, and completing a sound quantitative research project. The authors offer a definitive answer to the question, “Can a staff chaplain integrate providing pastoral care and doing a quantitative research project as principle investigator?”
“I Came So That They May Have Life”: Amative Space and Faith as Vital Concern
Authors: LaMothe Ryan
Published: May 2015

This article describes four attributes of faith as vital concern—relational spontaneity, responsiveness, receptiveness, and vulnerability—which are key ingredients to subjective and intersubjective experiences of being alive and real. The metaphor, amative space, refers to the processes and dynamics that make faith as vital concern a viable possibility between and among people. The author depicts these processes as four, interrelated dialectical pairs—recognition-negation, surrender-generation, trust-distrust, and disruption-repair. The four attributes of faith as vital concern combined with the processes and dynamics of amative space can be used as a relational model to understand faith experience and interactions of individuals and groups.
A Preliminary Proposal for a Scale to Measure the Effectiveness of Pastoral Care with Family Members of Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Flannelly Kevin J. , Galek Kathleen , Tannenbaum Helen P. , Handzo George F.
Published: May 2015

The authors conducted an electronic search of the Medline database for articles measuring family satisfaction. Content analysis was then performed on the relevant studies to determine the types of themes included in scales measuring family satisfaction in healthcare settings. The authors used these themes to develop a scale for measuring the effectiveness of pastoral care with family members. A convenience sample of chaplains that was asked to judge the usefulness of each of the scale items, rated them all, on average, to be “somewhat useful” to “very useful” for evaluating chaplains' effectiveness. The value of the scale is discussed in terms of its being a more outcome-oriented measure of effectiveness compared to typical family satisfaction instruments.
Patterns of Conversation between Clergy and Their Parishioners and Referral to other Professionals
Authors: Grauf-Grounds Claudia , Backton Audrey
Published: May 2015

Clergy deal with mental and physical health care issues as well as spiritual concerns within their congregations. Collaboration with psychotherapists and physicians could be argued to be “best practice” by clergy, but little is known about how clergy collaborate, particularly in non-hospital settings. This study describes reported practice patterns of referral by clergy in the context of their conversations with parishioners. Clergy report that parishioners regularly express psychosocial and medical concerns to them, and clergy also initiate these conversations. Clergy refer to medical providers and psychotherapist 23% of the time, and these referrals are found to be helpful, even though the professionals rarely connect with each other. Physicians and psychotherapists report they refer to clergy 10% and 24% of the time, respectively, and often find these referrals helpful. Further research is needed to understand the barriers and bridges to collaboration between professionals in different domains of care.
Psychoanalysis, the Brain, and Amazing Grace
Authors: Carver Larry A
Published: May 2015

Believing that there are many paths to wholeness, the author attempts to investigate three seemingly diverse concepts of healing—spirituality, psychoanalysis, and brain biology. He demonstrates how these three modes may have more in common than often has been historically recognized and this leads him to celebrate that reality.
Unconditional Giving and Unconditional Taking: Empathy and Narcissism among Pastors
Authors: Zondag Hessel J.
Published: May 2015

Empathy is a key factor in successful pastoral contact. This article reports on an investigation among pastors of the relationship between empathy and narcissism, a personality trait which has acquired considerable importance in recent years. The article distinguishes between several dimensions of empathy and narcissism. In the case of empathy these dimensions are perspective-taking, fantasy, empathic concern, and personal distress, and in the case of narcissism they are centripetal narcissism, centrifugal narcissism, isolation, and self-satisfaction. The meaning of the relationship between empathy and narcissism for pastoral performance is discussed.
A Lesson from Katrina: Pastoral Care from an Asian Theological Perspective
Authors: Lee Jacob Hee Cheol
Published: May 2015

Situating pastoral caregivers in the dramatic catastrophe caused by hurricane “Katrina” in New Orleans, this article attempts to address some appropriate pastoral responses toward the disaster from an Asian theological perspective. The article highlights the significance of remembrance and connection rather than repression and forgetfulness in order to bring justice to all victims of Katrina. It builds on Jacoby's “social amnesia,” calls for redefining the meaning of community, and attempts to address the human predicaments on the surface of Katrina through an Asian perspective. In order to address pastoral responses, the article builds upon Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s concept of interrelatedness and shared destiny. It critically examines Jung Young Lee's theology of marginality, and draws the pastoral implications of this theology of marginality with respect to Katrina.
Clergy in Crisis: When Human Power Isn't Enough
Authors: Muse Stephen
Published: May 2015

The author cites current research and more than a decade of clinical work with hundreds of clergy from a variety of denominations to suggest an approach for empowerment and renewal by addressing the tension between the call to ministry and the need for self-validation. He describes a short-term, multi-counselor, intensive intervention for clergy in crisis and offers two heuristic models designed to facilitate integration of the domains of clinical diagnosis and spiritual discernment.
Spiritual and Religious Experiences of Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients versus Healthy Peers
Authors: Grossoehme Daniel H. , Cotton Sian , Leonard Anthony
Published: May 2015

One hundred twenty-two adolescent psychiatric inpatients with depressive disorders and 80 healthy peers were administered the INSPIRIT, a measure of core spiritual experiences. Healthy adolescents reported a greater frequency of spiritual experiences and a more positive impact of such experiences on their belief in God than did their inpatient peers. Adolescent inpatients reported higher frequencies of experiencing angels, demons, God or guiding spirits; feeling unity with the earth and other living things; and with near death or life after death as compared to healthy peers. Overall, females reported higher frequency of spiritual experiences and higher impact of the experience on their belief in God than did males. It was concluded that the INSPIRIT is a feasible spiritual assessment tool for adolescent populations and may be used by chaplains as a means for guiding clinical conversations with adolescents.
Readiness for Commitment: Applying Psychological Constructs to Pastoral Issues in Marriage
Authors: Galea Paul
Published: May 2015

The current crisis in marriage is partly related to people having problems in living their commitments. To investigate this phenomenon, a self-report instrument, the Commitment to Partnership Scale (CPS) was adopted to identify and measure those factors considered essential to marriage commitment: Attachment, Trust, Maturity, Investment, and Values. The CPS was given to 430 people in a significant relationship, from a Roman Catholic population, and from two different groups. One group was a sample of engaged couples during their marriage preparation courses (N=234). The other group consisted of a number of people who had their marriage annulled on psychological grounds (N=49). T-test results showed a significant difference between the two groups on all factors. The CPE was able to identify problem areas with lower than average scores. These were confirmed when a feedback was given. The CPS showed discriminant validity, a reasonable predictable value for commitment, and real possibilities as a valid pastoral tool.
An Overview of Paradoxical Counseling and its Congruence with Biblical Writings
Authors: L'Abate Luciano , Hewitt Doris , McMahan Oliver
Published: May 2015

Paradoxical counseling (PC) became popular in the second part of last century with the advent of systemic and multi-relational therapies. Since then, it has changed into a variety of behavioral techniques still in use today. How consistent or inconsistent is PC will depend a great deal upon each counselor's beliefs, including those who consider themselves pastoral counselors or Christian counselors. The authors suggest, however, that using workbooks written in both linear-straight-forward or circular-paradoxical ways as homework assignments may enlarge the expertise of a variety of counselors in ways perhaps heretofore unfamiliar to them.
Spiritual Care Illustrated: Creating a Shared Language
Authors: Nieuwenhuizen Louis
Published: May 2015

In an attempt to schematically illustrate the pastoral care intervention to scientifically minded professionals and colleagues the author developed a model that can be used as an interdisciplinary teaching tool. Within the setting of hospital ministry, the tool also provides insights into the stages of “crisis experience” and illustrates the transformational process involved in The Healing Journey. These change-processes are explained against the background of a multi-level anthropology. This approach births a Healing Journey diagram, a spiritual pain assessment tool, and a seven-phase intervention model that may be helpful in Clinical Pastoral Education.
Tsunami and Ghost Stories in Thailand: Exploring the Psychology of Ghosts and Religious Rituals within the Context of Thai Buddhism
Authors: Sorajjakool Siroj
Published: May 2015

The post-tsunami ghost phenomena in Thailand may be understood, in Jungian terms, as an expression of the autonomous complex of the collective psyche resulting from traumatic loss. Religious rituals, as in the context of Thai Buddhism, provide an alternative method of dealing with grief, and hence they affirm the place of religious practices in the overall psychological well-being of people from various cultural backgrounds.
Resident's Loved Ones Support Group: An Anecdotal Report on a Place to Share
Authors: Zucker David J.
Published: May 2015

The author offers an informal report on a project that has produced positive results, albeit not with the usual supportive numerical data that might be found in a typical research-oriented format. Stories rather than statistics provide the relevant information.
Revisiting the Living Human Web: Theological Education and the Role of Clinical Pastoral Education
Authors: Miller-McLemore Bonnie J.
Published: May 2015

This article addresses repercussions for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and theological education of the move in pastoral theology from the metaphor of the “living human document” to the “living web” to describe its subject of study, a question pastoral theologians have not explicitly considered. It focuses primarily on the descriptive task of understanding problems in theological education, CPE's turn to the document, and the evolution of the web as a new metaphor. Least controversially, it argues that the image of the web has both problems and undeveloped potential. More radically, it suggests that CPE's gift to theological education may still be its understanding of the document and its development of methods by which to attend to personhood. Ultimately, the “living document within the web” may be the best way to frame the subject matter of both CPE and pastoral theology.
Alzheimer's Disease and the Loss of Self
Authors: Capps Donald
Published: May 2015

This article focuses on the fact that persons (including the author) who are entering the later stages of life are confronted with the real possibility that they may become afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. It proposes an alternative to speculating about one's own chances of becoming afflicted, which is to enter imaginatively into the world of the Alzheimer's patient, and uses contemporary poems to assist in this regard. It notes that the author's attempt to ‘join the patient’ led to the realization that Alzheimer's disease does not, as is commonly believed, completely obliterate the self. Recognizing the inevitable limits of one's ability to imagine what it is like to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, it advocates the embracing of forgetfulness as an integral part of the self.
The Traveling Torah and Healing
Authors: Meier Rabbi Levi
Published: May 2015

This essay is a report on patient responses to a hospital chaplain's use of the Torah in delivering pastoral care in a large medical center.
God-Talk in Therapeutic Conversation
Authors: VanKatwyk Peter L.
Published: May 2015

The article focuses on God-talk in the context of therapeutic conversations within a framework of psychodynamic and cognitive/narrative perspectives and develops a guide of five diagnostic questions for the critical analysis of God-stories as a tool in spiritual assessment. As a case-illustration, Anton Boisen's God-story is assessed with applications for Clinical Pastoral Education to learn from God-stories as “living human documents.”
The Book of Job as a Resource for Counseling
Authors: Hopson Ronald E. , Rice Gene
Published: May 2015

The book of Job is commonly considered an exemplary study in the dynamics of suffering and the problem of theodicy. This article considers the book of Job for its insights into the challenge of providing pastoral care to persons in spiritual pain. The dialog between Job and his friends illustrates how spiritual distress challenges the theological assumptions of both sufferer and caregiver. In an effort to maintain one's own spiritual equilibrium, and no doubt out of good faith efforts to comfort the afflicted, the pastoral caregiver may be tempted to cling to theological formulas and religious perspectives which disallow the sufferer's experience of anger and despair. The story of Job affirms the value of authenticity over piety, speaks of the transformative power of suffering, and provides the counselor/pastoral caregiver insights into the pitfalls and promise of caring for persons in spiritual pain.
A Theory about the Nature of Evil
Authors: LaPierre Lawrence L.
Published: May 2015

This article raises the nature of Evil as a dimension of spiritual reality and indicates some experience-based and some theologically based perspectives on the nature of Evil. The author offers a new perspective on the nature of Evil based on an extension of earlier work on a six-factor model of spirituality.
The Bereavement of an Adult Child in the Middle Phase of Adulthood
Authors: Paulsen Leif Jon
Published: May 2015

This article presents the results of a survey of eight couples and one single parent in the middle phase of adulthood, all of whom lost young adult children to sudden, unexpected death. The article gives a presentation of the parents' own descriptions of their grief. Their mourning periods varied from nine months to eight years. The author's findings imply that although the mourning processes for this group of people will last for the rest of their lives, they will gradually adapt to the new situation. The article questions the accepted description of grief as a process limited in time and passing through stages. The author also claims that a crucial element of the mourning process is to preserve an inner picture of the deceased. The article also touches upon the implications of such bereavement on religious and existential questions.
Protestant Clergy Marriage in the Congregational Context: A Report from the Field
Authors: Stalfa Frank J.
Published: May 2015

The author reports on in-depth interviews with fourteen clergy—both male and female—along with their spouses to determine how they experience the stressors and marriages. These responses are compared with the literature currently available on clergy couples in relation to congregational systems. Recommendations are made for strengthening clergy marriage by identifying initiatives that may be taken during seminary and continued by local congregations and judicatories.
A Vajrayana Buddhist Perspective on Ministry Training
Authors: Kilts Thomas
Published: May 2015

This article about ministry training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is written from the perspective of a Vajrayana Buddhist Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) Supervisor. It presents basic concepts of the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition that apply to the training process of students in CPE and beyond. The author posits that like the Vajrayana spiritual path, ministry training is something that continues on in a person's ministry, and that ministers should attend to this process as long as they are helping others. The author presents the concept of mandala and the Five Buddha Families to illustrate a Vajrayana perspective on ministry training.
In Memoriam: The Disenfranchised Grief of Chaplains and the Recovery of Memory
Authors: Helsel Philip Browning
Published: May 2015

The article explores the disenfranchised grief of the chaplain from the perspective of the author's own experience in hospice chaplaincy. Borrowing from the works of Kenneth J. Doka on disenfranchised grief, Robert C. Dykstra on crisis ministry, and James Dittes on grief work in ministry, this article focuses on the grief work of chaplains. In doing so, it analyzes the theological perspective of remembrance, explaining how personal remembrances connect the chaplain with his or her own repressed grief in a way that communal events can not accomplish because of the chaplain's responsibility for the grief of the community in these settings. From the perspective of the Christian faith in its sacramental connections with the Lord's Supper, the spiritual practice of honoring the deceased and praying for their guidance is posed as a possible model of healing remembrance.
Developing a Support Group for Families with Children with Disabilities in a Canadian Chinese Church Community
Authors: Tarn Cynthia , Poon Vincent
Published: May 2015

This article presents an overview of the difficulties families face when raising a child with disability. With language barriers and limited support, immigrant families have difficulties in locating necessary resources for their children. The experience of a support group for parents with children with disabilities in a Canadian Chinese immigrant church is reported and discussed.
Screening for Spiritual Struggle
Authors: Fitchett George , Risk James L.
Published: May 2015

A growing body of research documents the harmful effects of religious or spiritual struggle among patients with a wide variety of diagnoses. We developed a brief screening protocol for use in identifying patients who may be experiencing religious/spiritual struggle, as well as patients who would like a visit from a chaplain. We describe the results of a pilot study in which non-chaplain healthcare colleagues administered the screening protocol to patients admitted to an acute medical rehabilitation unit. The protocol identified 7% of the patients as possibly experiencing religious/spiritual struggle. Follow up spiritual assessments by the chaplain confirmed religious/spiritual struggle in all but one of these patients and also identified additional cases of religious/spiritual struggled not identified by the protocol. In addition to areas for future research, the authors describe how using a protocol to screen patients for religious/spiritual can make important contributions to spiritual care.
Love's Angry Lament: Confronting Our Anger with God: Based on Lamentations 1 – 3
Authors: Leaman Mel
Published: May 2015

The author examines biblical characters who challenged the justice of God. He contends that these lamenters laid the foundation for the rabbinic tradition of chutzpah. They freely faced God with their disillusionment and anger. Their intimacy with the Divine is exemplary. The author acknowledges the ambiguities of God's response to despair and contextualizes lament in the case of a woman who has been sexually abused and seeks pastoral guidance. This article integrates exegesis and theology with theories of anger and intimacy.
Topography of Referrals to Chaplains in the Metropolitan Chaplaincy Study
Authors: Galek Kathleen , Vanderwerker Lauren C. , Flannelly Kevin J. , Handzo George F. , Kytle Jackson , Ross A. Meigs , Fogg Sarah L.
Published: May 2015

Understanding referral patterns to chaplains is essential not only to ensure proper patient treatment, but also to assist chaplains seeking to expand the range of patient situations in which they are called to intervene. Information about more than 58,000 chaplain visits was documented during the first two years (2005–2006) of the Metropolitan Chaplaincy Study. Data from 15,655 of these visits, which were made in response to referrals (26.9% of all visits), were analyzed in the present study. Seventy-eight percent of referral requests were met within the same day, and 94.9% of requests and were met within 2 days. Nurses were the most frequent source of referrals to chaplains (45.0%), followed by self-referrals from patients or requests from their family members (30.3%), with the remainder coming from a variety of hospital disciplines. The most common reason for referrals was that patients requested to see a chaplain. Other relatively common reasons for referrals were problems or issues related to illness or treatment, and end-of-life issues, concerns about death and the death of patients, with reasons for referrals differing by referral source. The most common reason for referrals among professional staff was that patients were feeling bad or in pain, followed by medical issues, and end-of-life issues. Patient and family referrals usually involved positive patient affect, whereas staff referrals usually involved negative patient affect.
Pastoral Images: The Good Samaritan and the Unjust Judge
Authors: Capps Donald
Published: May 2015

Noting the continuing popularity among pastoral theologians of the Good Samaritan as an image of the pastoral caregiver, the author argues that the parable is not really about the obligation of the pastor to offer care but about accepting help from one toward whom one has deeply-engrained prejudicial attitudes and/or hostility. Thus, if the parable is used for insight into the role of function of the pastor, the negative models of the Priest and the Levite are instructive; but if one is looking for a positive pastoral image from among the parables of Jesus, one might consider the image of the Unjust Judge.
Countertransference Reactions in Treatment with the Bereaved
Authors: Gelo Florence
Published: May 2015

Countertransference is a constant occurrence in the therapeutic interaction between psychotherapist and patient. This article provides a brief discussion of countertransference and explores the particular challenges psychotherapists encounter when working with bereaved patients. A clinical vignette describes the dangers of unconscious defense against the experience of loss and emphasizes the importance of recognizing grieving as a natural and restorative process.
The Correlates of Chaplains' Effectiveness in Meeting the Spiritual/Religious and Emotional Needs of Patients
Authors: Flannelly Kevin J. , Oettinger Margaret , Galek Kathleen , Braun-Storck Arnd , Kreger Ralph
Published: May 2015

The study was designed to assess the degree to which two sets of measures about chaplains' visits with patients predicted patients' perceptions that their spiritual/religious needs and their emotional needs were met by the chaplain. The first set consisted of seven items about the chaplain's demeanor during the visit. The second set measured patient satisfaction with seven aspects of the chaplain's care, including specific interventions. Overall, the latter items were more highly correlated with, and were better predictors of patients' perceptions that the chaplain met both their spiritual/religious needs and their emotional needs than were the demeanor items. The findings indicate the usefulness of measuring the effectiveness of specific chaplain interventions. The authors discuss that effectiveness measures may be more useful that patient satisfaction measures for assessing pastoral care.
Implications for the Delivery of Spiritual Care in Canadian Healthcare: A Perspective from a Canadian Health Authority
Authors: Woodland Gloria J. , Tayler Carolyn M.
Published: May 2015

Recognizing multiple challenges in the delivery of spiritual care, Fraser Health conducted a review of their spiritual care services in comparison to the spiritual care delivered in other Canadian health regions/authorities (2005–2006). Based on data received from the other health service areas, Fraser Health staff, and community focus groups, along with a review of literature and best practices, a reconstruction of spiritual care delivery has been initiated. This article outlines the results of a Canadian survey of health care chaplains, stakeholder consultations, and the implications for spiritual care delivery in Canada. The newly developed Fraser Health Tenets and Model for Spiritual Care, along with the recommendations of the project for the reconstruction and enhancement of spiritual care delivery in Fraser Health are discussed.
Spiritual Disciplines, Modern Brain Research and Bosch's Psychological Model of Human Dysfunction
Authors: Bisschops Anke M.
Published: May 2015

First I discuss aims and methods of spiritual disciplines from all times and ages. Difficulties that people experience in maintaining spiritual disciplines are described. Modern brain research sheds light on the question as to why this is so. The new psychotherapy of the Dutch psychologist Bosch is presented, which takes into account new insights of modern brain research and which bears striking similarities with universal spiritual disciplines. Some similarities are presented and implications of the findings are discussed.
Liminality in Death Care: The Grief-Work of Pastors
Authors: Helsel Philip Browning
Published: May 2015

Proximity with issues of death and dying is one of the troubling aspects of ministry for many clergy. This article articulates the role of the minister as a liminal figure, a person who serves a ritual function in times of grief and loss, and who enables the creation of meaning in the in-between space between death and life. This liminal role is compared with that of the funeral director, as elaborated by Thomas Lynch in his memoir, The Undertaking. This paper suggests that while the liminal position is a difficult one for the pastor, it also provides some of the deepest satisfactions of ministry.
Hospital Chaplains' Involvement in a Randomized Controlled Multidisciplinary Trial: Implications for Spiritual Care and Research
Authors: Piderman Katherine M. , Johnson Mary E.
Published: May 2015

Chaplains' involvement in spirituality and health research can contribute something vital and unique to these investigations. It can also provide opportunity for professional growth and increased effectiveness. This article describes the authors' experience as co-investigators in a randomized controlled trial involving patients with a life expectancy of less than five years receiving radiation therapy for advanced cancer. It also discusses the application to clinical settings and other research.
Jesus and People with Disabilities: Old Stories, New Approaches
Authors: McColl Mary Ann , Ascough Richard S.
Published: May 2015

According to some authors, the healing narratives in the New Testament have fuelled destructive attitudes toward disability among Christians. The purpose of this paper is to explore a subset of Jesus' miracle healings for more constructive messages, and for guidance about pastoral care for people with disabilities. Of twenty-nine miracle accounts found in the four gospels, five were selected for this study that deal with physical disability in individual persons. Using the socio-rhetorical interpretive method, the stories are mined for themes regarding spiritual aspects of healing, identity, faith, sin and touch.
Practicing Discernment: Pastoral Care in Crisis Situations
Authors: Landes Scott D.
Published: May 2015

This article correlates a particular experience of providing pastoral care for a person in a crisis situation with a particular understanding of the practice of pastoral care. Through engaging in correlative practical theology, it highlights the need for practicing discernment when providing pastoral care for persons utilizing narratives to work through crisis situations.
The Impact of Pastors' Spiritual Practices on Burnout
Authors: Chandler Diane J.
Published: May 2015

This qualitative study addressed two research questions (a) what spiritual practices contribute to pastors' emotional and spiritual well-being?, and (b) what factors contribute to pastoral burnout? Based on an inductive analysis of eight pastoral interviews, the study revealed that these spiritual leaders engage in specific spiritual disciplines that contribute to their sense of well-being. The implications of this study prompt further research into the relationship between leaders' spiritual practices and burnout.
Clinical Pastoral Education as Professional Training: Some Entrance, Curriculum and Assessment Implications
Authors: Little N. Keith
Published: May 2015

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.
A Quick Measure to Guide Allocation of Chaplains' Time with Hospitalized Veterans
Authors: Fletcher Carol E. , Ronis David L. , Hetzel Joanna M. , Lowery Julie C.
Published: May 2015

Assessing veterans' desire to see a chaplain can be difficult. Due to alleged personal weakness associated with seeing a chaplain while on active duty, veterans may still be reluctant to admit a need. Additionally chaplains may be challenged with multiple time demands. We devised and correlated with known instruments a single item containing four graded responses. One correlation was strong, suggesting the question's potential for serving as a useful tool for allocation of chaplains' time.
Ministerial Burnout: Motivation and Renewal for Mission
Authors: McDevitt Patrick J.
Published: May 2015

Roman Catholic priests are at high risk for stressors, burnout, and other emotional problems due to aging, role confusion, lack of support, changes in occupational focus, and ideological questions (Fruehle, Gautier, Bendyna, 2000; Hamel, 2000; Sammon, Reznikoff, & Gersinger, 1985; USCCB, 1982; USCCB, 2000). The business theories of Organizational Citizen Behavior and Survivor's Syndrome provide organizational explanations for factors contributing to the lack of motivation among priests. The techniques in Motivational Interviewing provide tools for religious leaders to employ when addressing the lack of motivation with individual priests. The article provides recommendations for seminaries and priests' programs of ongoing formation in addressing the issues of burnout, low-morale, and the lack of motivation.
Spiritual Well-Being and Spiritual Practices in Elderly Depressed Psychiatric Inpatients
Authors: Piderman Katherine M. , Lapid Maria I. , Stevens Susanna R. , Ryan Susan M. , Somers Kristin J. , Kronberg Matthew T. , Clark Matthew M. , Rummans Teresa A.
Published: May 2015

This study's aims were to describe the spirituality of depressed elderly psychiatric inpatients and to examine associations among spirituality, depression, and quality of life (QOL). Forty-five persons participated. Most reported frequent, stable spiritual practices and experiencing spiritual comfort and guidance. Some reported spiritual distress and changes in spirituality. During hospitalization, participants demonstrated increased spiritual well-being (SWB) and peacefulness, and reduced hopelessness, worthlessness, and guilt. Positive associations were found between SWB and QOL and negative associations between SWB and depression.
Attitudes Held by Members of the Clergy about Alcohol
Authors: Hatchett Bonnie , Holmes Karen Y , Bryan-Young Rosemarie , Patterson Bernita
Published: May 2015

Alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse continue to cause major threats to the physiological, psychological, sociological and spiritual health of the nation. According to recent statistics, over 80% of the illegal drugs used by youth, both male and female, is marijuana, with cocaine, opium and their derivatives comprising at least 15% of the drugs used by youth. When considering the ill effects of drug abuse, it is the legal one, alcohol that is responsible for the greatest impact on society. While it remains imperative that allied health professionals understand the many ramifications of substance abuse, it is also critical that leaders of faith communities have the knowledge and skills to meet this challenge competently. Due to the relevance of ministries as a possible resource, the focus of this exploratory study is to assess the knowledge, skills and attitudes of clergy about substance use and abuse and to determine their confidence of clergy in assisting their congregation with need related to this area.
The Sound of Spiritual Care: Music Interventions in a Palliative Care Setting
Authors: Tees Bob , Budd Jennifer
Published: May 2015

The article describes how music has been integrated into spiritual and supportive care for palliative care patients at Brantford General Hospital (Ontario). Numerous case examples illustrate how a song or piece of music can play a vital role in the spiritual dimension of end of life care. The article expands the concept of the “living human document” by positing that a life story has an accompanying soundtrack: a musical memory and sensorial attunement that can be energized when music is offered at the bedside. The writers suggest that music provides an alternate spiritual language for patients whether or not they have a religious affiliation.
The Relationship between Spiritual Distress, PTSD and Depression in Vietnam Combat Veterans
Authors: Berg Gary
Published: May 2015

Presents empirical data showing the relationship between combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and spiritual distress. Uses spiritual injury scale to measure distress; scale measures guilt, anger or resentment, sadness/grief, lack of meaning, feeling God/life has treated one unfairly, religious doubt, and fear of death. Shows high association between spiritual injuries and both PTSD and depression. Also finds inverse relationship between intrinsic religious faith and these two diagnostic categories. An inverse relationship also exists between religious faith as measured by regular worship with a faith community and both depression and PTSD.
Space in the Trinity and in Pastoral Care
Authors: Pembroke Neil
Published: May 2015

A central feature of the life of the Trinity is contrast without conflict: God is three and God is one. This dynamic has a spatial reference. The Three draw close to each other in the intimacy of love, but they also give each other space to be. This dynamic is a necessary condition for mature relationships on the human level. It is argued that effective pastoral counseling involves both moving in close through empathy and acceptance, and creating appropriate distance through a process that Martin Buber refers to as confirmation. Confirmation involves wrestling with the other person to help her or him actualize her or his God-given moral and spiritual potential.
Merging Community and Faith-Based Organizations to Empower African American Males
Authors: Daniels Kevin , Archibald Paul
Published: May 2015

The Holistic Needs of African American Men (HAAM) Program provides information and resources that allow African American men to take full control of their lives and tell “their” story. The majority of the participants indicated they did not trust the current service or health care systems in the United States because they felt these systems robbed them of their “voice.” HAAM provided the African American men with needed support and assisted them in repositioning their lives for success.
Clergy Referral of Suicidal Individuals: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Mason Karen E. , Polischuk Pablo , Pendleton Raymond , Bousa Elizabeth , Good Rebekah , Wines James D.
Published: May 2015

In a national study, 25% of help-seekers contacted clergy; suicidal behavior was one of the significant predictors for making contact. Clergy have been found to refer 10% of help-seekers to mental health providers. This qualitative study explored the referral practices of 15 northeastern Mainline and Evangelical Protestant clergy when contacted by suicidal individuals; all referred to mental health providers. Participants reported low confidence with risk identification and provided moving examples of pastoral care.
Celibacy and Male Psycho-Sexual Development
Authors: McGavin Paul Anthony
Published: May 2015

Counselors and psychologists would benefit from a nuanced appreciation of Catholic sexual morality when working with human development issues among those who adhere to Church teaching. This focus is especially so among those preparing for a life of stable celibate chastity. Appreciation of the differences between boys and men and girls and women in the processes of psycho-sexual maturation is important. This article addresses these issues with a focus on celibacy and male psycho-sexual development in young men of Catholic commitment.
Richard Clarke Cabot, M.D., a Unitarian Critique
Authors: Knights Ward A.
Published: May 2015

This article is written to correct a historical impression about Richard C. Cabot, one of the founders of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Contrary to the popular understanding that he was a typical Unitarian, the author posits that even though Cabot may have been a typical liberal, in his theology, he was an atypical Unitarian. This article places Cabot in his family and historical contexts, his involvement in CPE, and comments on his theology, noting how this differed from the prevailing Unitarian theology of his day.
Educating Chaplains for Research Literacy: Results of a National Survey of Clinical Pastoral Education Residency Programs
Authors: Fitchett George , Tartaglia Alexander , Dodd-McCue Diane , Murphy Patricia
Published: May 2015

There is growing evidence that leaders in professional health care chaplaincy recognize the important role of research. The Standards of Practice recently approved by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), and especially the standard about research (Standard 12), provide strong evidence that the profession sees research, and research-literate chaplains, as important for its future. The aim of this study was to identify the extent to which Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc (ACPE) accredited clinical pastoral education (CPE) residency programs are preparing their graduates to be the kind of research-literate chaplains described in these Standards. We interviewed CPE supervisors from 26 randomly-selected CPE residency programs. We found 12% of the programs had intentional and substantive research-related curricula, 27% of the programs offered some limited exposure to research, and 62% of the programs provided no education about research. We found also that supervisors often defined “research education” in terms of actually conducting research projects. CPE residency programs potentially play a central role in educating research-literate chaplains. Future research should examine the incentives and barriers that influence the inclusion of research education in CPE residency programs.
Reinterpreting Funerals and Pastoral Care: A Pastoral Theology Response to Tom Long's Accompany Them with Singing
Authors: Fowler Gene
Published: May 2015

This article addresses Tom Long's (2009) criticism that a traditional pastoral care approach to funerals is responsible for significant distortions in contemporary Christian funeral practices in the United States. The article will show that his criticism should be affirmed but that his solution for a contemporary understanding of pastoral care and funerals is not adequate. A critique and reinterpretation of pastoral care and funerals will show that Long's reform of Christian funerals needs to incorporate a contemporary understanding of caring for the bereaved in funerals.
Long Coats, Short Coats and No Coats: Chaplaincy Presents to Psychiatry at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, a Report
Authors: Stouter David K. , Wallace AnneMarie , Rashid Anis , Valentine Alan
Published: May 2015

When Chaplaincy and Psychiatry examine their own methodologies, do they work to reduce age-old barriers, thereby involving each other to promote holistic patient care? Chaplaincy trains in self-awareness and pastoral care specializing in religion, spirituality, grief and loss; while Psychiatry trains in medicine, neurology, and the behavioral neurosciences. Relationships across disciplines with common interests are vital. Ongoing dialogue between these professions will enhance the shared goals of coping and healing in the communities they serve.
Effectiveness of Islamic Spiritual Care: Foundations and Practices of Muslim Spiritual Care Givers
Authors: Isgandarova Nazila
Published: May 2015

The paper discusses the effectiveness of Islamic spiritual and religious care based on the ethnographic research with 15 Muslim spiritual caregivers. Six themes emerged from the interviews with fifteen Muslim spiritual caregivers. These six themes describe what the spiritual care providers see as effective Muslim spiritual care: 1. The most effective Muslim spiritual care is rooted in the Qur'an and the Hadith; 2. Effective Muslim spiritual care also means creating a caring relationship with the patient; 3. Muslim scholars are one of the important sources of effective Islamic spiritual care; 4. The insights of psychology and the social sciences are a necessary part of effective Islamic spiritual care; 5. There is a need for continuing education; 6. Styles of effective Muslim spiritual care are varied.
Spiritual/Cultural Competency: Methods in Diversity Education
Authors: Anderson Robert G.
Published: May 2015

Diversity education in clinical training such as CPE is best developed in an interactive group context, guided by methods and approaches promoting mutual disclosure that includes the leader. Each member is invited to portray a web of meaning with cultural, spiritual and religious threads that comprise a personally knitted reality, a narrative foundational to identity and interaction. Differences between people in the training context challenge previously held notions, distribute authority in the group and foster open ended learning that enriches the activities of clinical supervision. This article describes group educational methods with case examples that foster spiritual/cultural competency, each member a person in context with the opportunity to be distinct and connected, a threshold for all other dimensions of diversity learning in pastoral practice.
Using Prayer and Scripture in a Christian-Based Stress-Coping Support Group for Church Attendances: Implications for Professionals
Authors: Der Peter Pan Jen , Lee Ching-Yieh , Chang Shih-Hua , Jiang Jye-Ru Karen
Published: May 2015

This study explored the participants' perceptions of using prayer and Scripture in a Christian-based stress-coping support group (CSCSG). Twenty-eight church attendances were recruited from a Presbyterian church in Taiwan. Based on the finding from qualitative analyses using a modified grounded theory approach, four themes related to the participants' learning experiences emerged. The four themes identified were stressful life events, stress-coping experiences, integration of Christian faith with life, and spiritual connection. A follow-up survey indicated that the participants perceived the experiences gained from the CSCSG as appropriate, important, functional, and constructive in coping with stress. Research questions and implications for church professionals are discussed.
Suffering: Etiology and Treatment
Authors: Willoughby Michael
Published: May 2015

Suffering comes in many forms. Certain psychological therapies rooted in the work of Victor Frankl have been shown to alleviate suffering at the end of life. Frankl asserted, with subsequent agreement from secular and religious authors, that it is important to include the transcendent when working with those who suffer. This article explores some of the causes for and treatments of suffering. It briefly argues for the importance of addressing and even embracing the transcendent.
Hospitalized Young Adults' Expectations of Pastoral Interventions
Authors: Piderman Katherine M. , Jenkins Sarah M. , Hsu Jennifer S. , Kindred Alexander S.
Published: May 2015

The objective of this analysis of 4500 inpatients was to identify the experience and expectations of 18–35 year olds regarding chaplain visitation and to compare results with data from older adults. 71% of young adults reported wanting to be visited by a chaplain; 45.5% were visited; 68% indicated that this was important. Young adults value chaplains' role as a sign of God's care and presence (77.4%), in providing support for family (73.6%), being present during times of anxiety (66.0%), and praying/reading scripture with them (62.3%). Results were similar to older respondents, but young adults were more likely to value ethical counsel from chaplains (58.5% vs. 38.2%). This study provides clinically relevant information and suggestions for further research.
The ACPE Supervisory Education Process: An Historical Perspective
Authors: Greene Amy E. , VandeCreek Larry
Published: May 2015

As the number of Clinical Pastoral Education students increases, supervisors in the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) are in short supply due to retirements. We explore factors associated with this supply problem, reporting here four results from our survey of active and retired supervisors. We identify the ages of the current supervisory pool, the ages at which supervisors were certified and the length of time spent in the supervisory education program across the decades. The survey results also identify what supervisors perceive as the most helpful components of their supervisory education. These four results identify trends across the decades that may be associated with the present and future shortages of supervisors.