Reflective Practice - Formation and Supervision in Ministry (E-Journal)

Chang, Sung Hee

Book  Review List for Volume 45

Mansoor, Aida

Michael Hogue and Dean Bell, eds. Interreligious Resilience:Interreligious leadership for a Pluralistic World

Peristein, Benjamin

Pamela Cooper-White, Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care & Counseling. 29th Anniversary Edition, Fortress Press, 2024

Frank, Molly

Juliette Day, Hearing Our Prayers: An Exploration of Liturgical Listening Liturgical Press Academic, 2024

Senior, John

VOLUME 45 (2025) Educational Cornerstones and Adaptation in Changing Landscapes of Practice Editor’s Introduction “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” This timeless adage captures the central tension explored in this issue of Reflective Practice. As theological educators and spiritual care providers navigate rapidly evolving landscapes—technological, cultural, and institutional—they continually balance innovation with fidelity to foundational principles. Our contributors explore how the cornerstones of action-reflection-action can remain constant while their implementation adapts to meet contemporary challenges. The practice of ministry and its supervision has undergone significant transformation in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated changes already underway, compelling educators to reimagine delivery methods, assessment approaches, and even fundamental conceptions of formation. How do we preserve the essential elements of theological education while embracing necessary adaptations? What remains constant amid change? These questions guide our exploration. This issue presents eleven articles addressing various dimensions of adaptation and continuity in supervised ministry and theological field education. Together, they illuminate how educators are reimagining their approaches while remaining anchored to essential cornerstones of theological reflection, integration, and formation. In “Jesus and the Paradigms of Loneliness,” Tom Head examines how Jesus’ experiences of loneliness provide chaplains with a theological framework for addressing isolation among care recipients. By identifying patterns of emotional and social isolation in Jesus’ life, Head offers a model that validates the experience of loneliness without stigmatizing it. This theological grounding enables chaplains to counter harmful narratives that interpret loneliness as spiritual weakness. Darren Kleinberg’s “The Importance of Safety for the Practice of Spiritual Care” introduces the concept of ontological safety as essential for effective spiritual care. Drawing on diverse thinkers including Maslow, Rogers, and Porges, Kleinberg demonstrates how chaplains must feel safe themselves to create healing environments. His framework for “reauthoring personal mythologies” represents an innovative approach to formation that integrates psychological insights with spiritual development. In “The Miseducation of the Negro: Decolonizing Identity Formation in Clinical Pastoral Education,” Rickey Randall challenges educational practices that perpetuate colonial patterns. His reclamation, conciliation, and emancipation framework offers a Editor's Introduction to Volume 45 1path that honors the distinct identity formation needs of Black students while maintaining CPE’s reflective practice core. Randall’s work exemplifies how adaptation can advance justice without compromising educational integrity. Jan Reeve’s “Ahead of the Wave” chronicles the Uniting Church in Australia’s pioneering implementation of professional supervision requirements. This historical perspective demonstrates how maintaining boundaries and quality of care through structured reflection has proven valuable over time. As other denominations adopt similar practices, Reeve’s case study illustrates how adaptation can become standard practice. In his article “Paying God’s Love Forward: A Hospital Chaplain’s Perspective," William P. Selig connects the concept in Catherine Ryan Hydes novel Pay It Forward to spiritual formation and chaplaincy work. Selig describes his journey from decades in the Unification Church to becoming a hospital chaplain following what he perceived as divine guidance. He defines spiritual formation as attuning to one’s divine purpose while serving others, drawing on theologians M. Robert Mulholland Jr. and Dallas Willard who emphasize transformation “for the sake of others.” Through his chaplaincy experiences, Selig illustrates how paying love forward occurs practically—from acknowledging overlooked hospital staff to helping patients find meaning during illness. He emphasizes that chaplains must set aside personal agendas and religious biases to serve people of all faiths or none. Selig highlights the importance of embracing religious diversity while recognizing our shared humanity. He concludes that spiritual formation is a collective journey that creates a ripple effect of compassion. In “‘I felt like I was being pushed into a box I have escaped,’” Maja Whitaker explores adapting spiritual formation practices for students with ADHD. By reconceptualizing the “rule of life” to accommodate neurodiversity, Whitaker demonstrates how educators can preserve the essence of traditional practices while developing more inclusive approaches. Her research highlights the importance of flexibility, fluidity, and responsiveness in spiritual practices. Graeme Flett’s “Thinking Metaphorically within One’s Supervision/Coaching Practice” demonstrates how metaphor functions as both a cornerstone and an adaptive tool in supervision. By attending to metaphorical language, supervisors can access deeper dimensions of ministerial experience. Flett illustrates how a client’s “dinner table” metaphor unlocked fresh ministerial possibilities, bridging abstract theological concepts with embodied pastoral practice. Sean Gilbert challenges established paradigms in “‘Learning to Sing in a Strange Land’: Practicing a Pedagogy of Conscious Relinquishment.” By critiquing dominant Western educational approaches, Gilbert invites educators to examine how power structures shape teaching methods. His call to embrace incompleteness and “think the limit” suggests that meaningful adaptation may require fundamental shifts in how we conceptualize theological education itself. Editor's Introduction to Volume 45 2Dorothee Tripodi’s “Going Deeper” provides practical wisdom for field educators navigating post-COVID realities. Rather than merely adjusting to technological changes, Tripodi advocates for deeper spiritual grounding through practices that transcend educational platforms. Her emphasis on theological reflection and integration as unchanging cornerstones offers a hopeful vision for maintaining formational depth amid rapid contextual shifts. Richard Trist documents significant transformation in “The Changing Face of Reflective Practice in the Church Today.” His overview of instrumental, critical, imaginal, and ontological approaches demonstrates how reflective practice has evolved while remaining central to ministerial formation. Trist’s analysis of systemic changes illustrates how external pressures can catalyze positive developments in reflective practice. Finally, Christina Zaker’s “Adapting Assessment Tools” provides a concrete example of adaptation serving enduring educational values. Her shift from “evaluation” to “assessment” reflects a fundamental reorientation toward growth rather than judgment. Zaker’s collaborative process demonstrates how educators can honor both institutional needs and student development, creating instruments that better serve theological field education’s formational goals. Collectively, these contributions affirm that while adaptations in educational methods, technological interfaces, and assessment tools are essential responses to our changing world, they must ultimately serve the unchanging purpose of forming reflective practitioners who integrate theological understanding with pastoral presence. The articles remind us that true adaptation is not merely reactive but intentional—not abandoning cornerstones but reimagining how they might be expressed in new contexts. As editors, we invite you to consider your own experience. How are you maintaining the action-reflection-action cycle amidst changing landscapes? What adaptations have strengthened your educational cornerstones, and which have challenged them? What firm ground has enabled your pivots? Perhaps most importantly, how might the insights from these contributors inform your own practice as we collectively navigate the changing landscapes of theological education and supervised ministry? The reflections gathered in this issue demonstrate that even as methods and contexts evolve, our fundamental commitment remains constant: forming ministers and spiritual care providers who can thoughtfully integrate theological understanding with compassionate presence in a world that desperately needs both.   John E. Senior  Editor  Editor's Introduction to Volume 45 3

English

INTRODUCTION TO VOLUME 45

Basic understanding of Islam and basic knowledge of Fiqh [jurisprudence].
A Muslim woman chaplain perseveres through her endorsement-rejection for CEC pursuit

Durrani (Fatkhi), Syazana

Living the Muslim-Enough Reality as a Muslim Woman Chaplain

Introduction to Section 2 which focuses on ATFE and ARPTE - Members Engaging Marginalit

Floding, Matthew

SECTION 2 - ATFE and ARPTE: Members Engaging Marginality

Morris, Joshua T.

Post-Traumatic Jesus: A Healing Gospel for the Wounded, by David W. Peters, Reviewed by Joshua T. Morris

Swain, Angela L.

Book Reviews 10Rethinking Normalcy: A Disability Studies Reader. Edited by Tanya Titchkosky and Rod Michalko, Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press Inc, 2009, 344 pps.An eye-opening exploration of disability studies that challenge our deeply ingrained societal norms, the book takes us on a journey through the complex and multifaceted world of disability, urging us to question these norms along the way.Part 1 (pg 15) the authors introduce the Social Model of Disability in Chapter 1, a groundbreaking perspective that challenges the traditional view of disability as a personal tragedy. Instead, it argues that disability is a result of society's failure to accommodate and include individuals with impairments. This sets the stage for a deeper understanding of disability as a social construct and invites readers to reevaluate the norms we often take for granted.Titchkosky and Michalko delve into the historical development of disability studies as an academic discipline, emphasizing that disability studies didn't emerge in isolation but evolved in response to shifting societal attitudes towards disability.Moving forward, Chapter 3 challenges conventional sociological perspectives on disability. Tanya Titchkosky introduces the concept – of disability as a "liminal space" between normalcy and abnormalcy. This perspective encourages us to explore the hidden meanings of normalcy and offers disability studies a unique vantage point to dissect societal norms. The concept of the "normate" by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson – a socially constructed idea of a "normal" body, senses, mind, and emotions is then introduced. It highlights how the normate and normate culture shapes society's perception of disability and encourages readers to critically examine their understanding of normalcy.Chapter 5 focuses on validating disabled individuals' lived experiences. It discusses how disability characteristics are often perceived through their bodies and emphasizes the need for an "equality of condition" that validates disabled embodiment and sensibility.In Part 2 (89) of the book, the authors delve into the profound connection between disability and suffering, a connection that is often so normalized that we rarely question it. Chapter 6, explores this connection, drawing from the works of Emmanuel Levinas. It asks whose suffering we truly confront when encountering disability and raises thought-provoking questions. “Nondisabled people are disturbed by disability. It reminds them of the fragility and vulnerability of their existence and reminds them of their morality as well. Furthermore, nondisabled people are often very uncomfortable in the presence of those of us who are disabled.” (100) Chapters 7 and 8 continue this exploration by delving into the lived experiences of disabled individuals like Diane Diedger, who showcases how such experiences can lead to disability activism.  Part 3 (p.133) shines a spotlight on how institutions shape perceptions of disability. Chapter 9 critiques charity fundraisers that frame disability as a tragedy, perpetuating moral narratives that impact the lives and identities of disabled individuals. Chapter 10 explores the intersection of work and mental illness, highlighting how institutionalization can shape societal perceptions of normalcy and abnormalcy.Part 4 (p.197) examines the role of law in shaping social spaces and reinforcing normative conceptions of disability. Chapter 12 focuses on the struggle for disability rights and advocates for viewing disability as a human rights issue, emphasizing the importance of social justice. Chapter 13 delves into the concept of "legal peripheries," where the discourse about law differs from how law is experienced. It underscores the need to consider the intersection of law, space, and disability within these peripheries.Part 5 (227) explores the impact of education, technology, and work on disabled individuals. Chapter 14 challenges conventional notions of literacy by exploring American Sign Book Reviews 11Language (ASL) as a distinct language and culture, emphasizing the importance of embracing diversity in education. Chapter 15 delves into the experiences of disabled students at a Canadian university, highlighting the challenges they face in navigating an educational system designed without their needs in mind.In the final Part of the book, Part 6 (285), insights from Carla Rice, Hilde Zitselsberger, Wendy Porch, and Esther Ignani, the focus shifts to women with facial and physical differences. They emphasize the importance of community-based research that responds to the specific needs of these communities, highlights the pervasive normative conceptions of disability, and advocates for the construction of alternative narratives and embodied selves.In Chapter 18, Corbett Joan Otoole raises important questions about sexism and racism within the disability movement. It encourages us to recognize the diversity within the movement and calls for inclusive analysis that considers the complex intersections of identity.  Anita Ghai niches down and sheds light on the absence of disabled women in Indian feminism and disability movements.In the last chapter, they delve into the intricate realm of identity. Robert McRuer challenges conventional notions of identity politics, suggesting that certain identities, including disability and queerness, are simultaneously forming and deconstructing.This book leaves us with a resounding call to action - to continue challenging the norms that have shaped our understanding of disability, paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future.Angela L. Swain Catholic Theological UnionChicago, Illinois

Rethinking Normalcy: A Disability Studies Reader, Edited by Tanya Titchkosky and Rod Michalko

Poem about when feeling discourged and frustrated, remind oneself of all that is inspiring and affirming. Existence included affirmations alongside daily challenges

Heeter, Chris

Heeter 1We are hereChris HeeterWhen all you can see is a world relentless in its harshnessmay you be wrapped in the beauty of a gentle autumn day.When it feels like we shall never find understandingmay you lay down upon this earth, on soft, solid groundlook up at a sky filled with wonderfeel the ground beneath youand recall how wholly and completely we are all connected.When you are wrung out, done, capable of no moremay you rest deeply and let yourself dreamknowing that this is the very best, most important thing you could do.And when you dare to feel joy,the bone-deep, belly-laugh, open your arms to the world elation,may you feel it, may you know it,and may you hold it with an open hand, delighted.For we are all joyful.We all feel despair.This is living.This is it.You haven’t missed anythingdone it wrongor lost the manual.We are here to experience.We are here to love.We are here to hold joy and grief with one another.And we are here to engage with all of it.Read more of Chris Heeter’s poetry and subscribe at:https://thewildinstitute.com/category/wild-poems/

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Book Review List for Volume 45