Professional Issues in Pastoral Ministry (DP3006Y)

Content

This unit will explore a broad range of personal, professional and ethical issues common in pastoral ministry, offering students an opportunity to engage in a reflexive process on pastoral practice. The unit will emphasise the interrelatedness of theory and practice in ministry, and the intersection of the personal and the professional. It will focus on issues such as: personal calling and discernment; personal virtues and professional skills as foundations to ethical practice; professional ethics; ethical decision making; confidentiality; professional boundaries, power and trust; and potential areas of professional misconduct. The unit will also focus on the significance of reflection, professional consultation and supervision in the maintenance of a compassionate and just ministry, and ministerial and spiritual health and wellbeing.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

DP1001Y Foundations of Pastoral Practice

Pedagogy

Lecture, seminars, and group work

Indicative Bibliography

• Gula, Richard M. Just Ministry: Professional Ethics for Pastoral Ministers. New York: Paulist Press, 2010. (recommended for purchase)
• Anderson, Ray S. Spiritual Caregiving as Secular Sacrament: A Practical Theology for Professional Caregivers. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2003.
• Carroll, Michael and Maria C. Gilbert. On Being a Supervisee: Creating Learning Partnerships. London: Vakuni Publishing, 2011.
• Carroll, Michael and Elisabeth Shaw. Ethical Maturity in the Helping Professions: Making Difficult Life and Work Decisions. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2013.
• Corey, Gerald, M. S. Corey and Patrick Callanan. Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions. 9th ed. Sydney: Cengage Learning, 2014.
• Davys, Allyson and Liz Beddoe. Best Practice in Professional Supervision: A Guide for the Helping Professions. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2010.
• Estadt, Barry K., John R. Compton and Melvin Blanchette, eds. The Art of Clinical Supervision: A Pastoral Counseling Perspective. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2005.
• Fook, Jan and Fiona Gardner. Practising Critical Reflection: A Resource Handbook. Milton Keynes, UK: Open University Press, 2008.
• Lynch, Gordon. Pastoral Care & Counselling. Ethics in Practice, edited by Tim Bond. London: Sage Publications, 2002.
• Robinson, Simon. Spirituality, Ethics and Care. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2008.
• Welfel, Elizabeth Reynolds. Ethics in Counseling & Psychotherapy: Standards, Research and Emerging Issues. 6th ed. Sydney: Cengage Learning, 2015.

Assessment