Healing, Spiritual

Andrew Thomas Bossardet D.Min.

Finding Home in the Wilderness is an exploration of the intersection of pastoral care, Christian spirituality, Biblical studies, Reformed theology, and trauma theory. This work contains a survey of trauma studies in the United States and its influence on theology, particularly Reformed theology. It also surveys several passages in the Gospel of Mark through a trauma-aware lens. John Calvin’s legacy is reconsidered through his own potentially traumatic circumstances. The project contains independent research on the impact of trauma-informed spiritual practices on the pastoral care capacities of nine pastoral leaders over the course of approximately six months. This project was successfully defended in February 2022.

Jason T. Link

The purpose of this project was twofold: 1) to research how the church community can be a place of healing in people's lives, and 2) to suggest practices that when enacted would help a church to be a place of healing. Church life was differentiated into three levels: Pastorally, Relationally, and Congregationally. A group of people were interviewed who had received some type of healing and their lives and were asked to share how the church community helped in the healing process. Based off of the information gathered in the interviews, practices were suggested for the church at each of the three levels of church life.

Gene M. Gordon

Although Black Liberation and Womanist Theologies have unlocked a profound conversation on praxis for oppressed people, they have not included, in large measure, the guidance to be gained from an intersection with Moral Injury Theory. An argument is presented, the purpose of which is to show how Black Liberation Theology enhances Moral Injury Theory and how Moral Injury Theory provides tools for addressing the effects of racism. In so doing, the concept of moral injury strengthens Black Liberation Theology by expanding its resolve to serve within communities affected by racism and indeed with all humanity. In addition, the theology of liberation may provide support for the spiritual attempt to encourage sufferers of moral injury through transcendent concepts such as forgiveness, reconciliation, and perhaps even atonement. This project also provides pastors, chaplains, and others with the kind of understandings and motivations that will assist them in meeting the needs of parishoners who may be struggling with the despair of the hidden wounds of racism that display the symptoms of moral injury.

Gary Brian Stone D.Min.

This project seeks to guide members of Connection Point Church in Kansas City, Missouri, to live in the healing and freedom of the gospel to extend love and forgiveness to those who have sinned against them. Chapter 1 presents the history and ministry context of Connection Point Church and the goal of this project. Chapter 2 provides an exegesis of three primary passages of Scripture (2 Cor 5:18-21; Eph 4:31–5:2; Matt 18:21-35) to show that every Christian can experience the healing and freedom offered in the gospel and be empowered to extend kindness and forgiveness toward the person who sinned against them. Chapter 3 explores the history of interpersonal forgiveness and demonstrates the unique gospel-centered approach of this project. Chapter 4 describes the project itself, recounting the content and preaching methodology of the specific sermon series and take-home work. Chapter 5 evaluates the project's efficacy based on the completion of the specified goals. Ultimately, this project seeks to equip Christians with a deeper understanding and experience with the gospel so they can heal from the hurt of sins against them, find freedom from an offense, extend kindness and forgiveness toward the person who has hurt them and display the gospel and the glory of God to those around them.

Rupert Neblett

The present research project of bibliographic modality and field research has its fundamental purpose to evaluate the importance of mental health care in pastors, ministers, leaders, and laity who have levels of responsibilities in human resources administration in the different denominations of Christian families.

With the understanding that "without mental health, it is not possible to have good spiritual health". This research has been motivated by the level of stress and its consequences of emotional situations that the COVID-19 pandemic has promoted.

As a result, an educational conference was held on Saturday, March 20, 2021, under the theme: "Leaders in Christ, Anxiety, Post-traumatic Stress, and Depression". This Conference was held in one of the church facilities where 38 pastors participated. It was found in the post-conference evaluations that 50% of the participating pastors and ministers presented a high level of stress.

An action plan is proposed that entails improving mental health of the Pastors, to immediately address the inadequate conditions that harm all those ministers and leaders who are in charge of human resources authority responsibilities in the churches by carrying out workshops that lead to developing the guidelines to put into practice strategies that lead to mental health.

Verlyn D Hemmen

This paper offers a method for pastoral counselors to utilize in healing individual and corporate anxiety. The model uses the modern therapeutic technique of Dr. David Grove in conjunction with the biblical psalms of lament.

David Grove maintains that people use metaphors to describe past traumatic experiences, and that these metaphors provide the key for healing these wounds, or the "wounded child within," in the past where they first occurred. Grove's therapeutic process emphasizes careful attention to the office setting, healing the wounded child within in the past, allowing the client's use of metaphor to express the trauma, and strict regard to the "clean" language used by the therapist. Grove also contends that the wounded child within is "frozen" in time, and the therapist must help guide the client through and beyond that experience so that healing may occur. This is achieved through an u nderstanding of the information stored in the child within, the memories which describe the environment outside the child's body, and the bodily boundaries described in metaphors.

Donald A Amidon

This book describes the use of Intensive Journal Writing as a spiritual development mechanism for Vietnam War combat veterans who are Post-traumatic Stress Disorder victims.

Chapter One describes the trauma of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and addresses the therapeutic task of healing.

Chapter Two presents a description of the physiological and psychological effects of stress. Effective coping mechanisms and stress management techniques are evaluated.

Chapter Three reviews the biblical concept of prayer and the implications of spiritual development for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder victims. Attention is drawn to the response of God to prayers of petition.

Chapter Four reviews theological perspectives which pertain to Intensive Journal Writing as a psychological and spiritual development resource. As the revealed activity of God becomes the work of redemption, healing activity is defined.

Chapter Five presents the Intensive Journal Writing technique of Ira Progoff. The use of this Journal Writing system as a part of a Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Rehabilitation Program is described. Special consideration is given to the spiritual dimension of journal development.

Chapter Six demonstrates that Intensive Journal Writing is a productive means of spiritual development. The deepening character of Journal Writing is described as a method of stress reduction, spiritual development and healing.

Kevin Kai Zhang D.Min.

The Chinese churches in North America have continued to grow and develop in the past thirty years. However, the health of the church has always been a major challenge for its growth. The pastoral ministry of the church is the key to a healthy church: the church cannot be truly healthy unless each of its individuals is.

This dissertation explores how the church can integrate the three pastoral approaches of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Inner Healing, and Spiritual Formation to build an effective pastoral ministry. The research of this study is completed through quantitative analysis. The sample comprises of 74 people who are active in pastoral ministries from five Chinese churches across North America.

The findings of this research suggest that the integrated use of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Inner Healing, and Spiritual Formation effectively helps believers to solve problems of body, mind, and spirit at all levels.

Finally, Holistic Health: Pastoral Training Manual is designed to equip congregations to help people in need through the integrated approach in pastoral ministry.

In Gyu Chang

This project is to remind both medicine and Christianity of the urgent need for the reunification of the separated spirituality and medicine in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. This recommendation is based on both scientific research and biblical teachings. Many studies have shown that the majority of patients are suffering from spiritual distress, and this distress is not being properly addressed by medicine or Christianity. According to the scientific studies and the teachings of the Bible, a holistic biopsychosocial spiritual (BPSS) strategy is necessary to best treat patients. There are two approaches to develop a BPSS strategy: (1) short term, which would involve training of all clinicians in addressing spiritual distress, and (2) long term, which would develop pastoral clinicians (PCs) to integrate medicine and spirituality. The latter approach is the focus of my dissertation.

Jay D. Cooper

"The purpose of this project is to help congregations form relationships among themselves and their communities around the premise that healing begins with hospitality. With the goal of personal and communal wholeness, this project aims to reclaim the biblical practice of hospitality and to help the modern church widen its understanding of how God heals in the world today. My contextualization of this premise stems from working with a local Parkinson's community, serving as a drug court chaplain, volunteering at an adult respite program for persons with Alzheimer's and dementia, leading a local church staff comprised of 104 people, and serving as the Senior Minister of a large membership United Methodist congregation. The author has created a leadership guide for practical ways every congregation may implement a practice of relating healing and hospitality. The author provides a helpful approach to biblical healing and hospitality through two contexts, but which is reproducible in various settings." -- Leaf [2].