Historical Contexts of Counselling and Psychotherapy: Care and Cure of Souls

This course explores the history and identity of what currently goes by many names-spiritual care, pastoral counseling, chaplaincy, congregational care. The first half of the course explores a series of "snapshots" of the historical foundations and classic texts from the Christian tradition, including Biblical warrants and early church practices, self-reflexivity, the rise of religious institutions of care, Roman Catholic sacramental vs Protestant life-support approaches, social gospel vs . clinical trajectories, clerical vs. lay participation, and correlation of mandates from faith traditions with those of human sciences. The second half of the course explores contemporary issues in the Canadian context, including challenges from postmodern, postcolonial, ecumenical, interfaith, and institutional perspectives. We will conclude with identity transformation issues as they currently inform debates surrounding the care of souls in hospitals, prisons, the military, nursing homes and congregations.