Intro to Pastoral Care

Catalog description

This course aims to introduce students to the history, practice, and theology of pastoral care in Christian traditions. Students will use most of the class time to discuss readings and engage in the analysis of case studies in small groups, though the instructor will give short lectures to present background information supplemental to the readings for each week. The course assumes no prior knowledge or experience in pastoral care. The course will place special emphasis on pastoral care in diverse contexts, for and by people of color, LGBTQ persons, and other underrepresented groups, in order to prepare students for a wide array of possible settings for pastoral care, and students will be encouraged to think critically about categories such as race, gender, and sexual orientation.