Description

Boston University School of Theology will launch an initiative focused on preparing professional chaplains for effective ministry.  In collaboration with Brandeis University’s recently established Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, and in concert with a diverse group of graduate theological schools, the initiative aims to build a professional network of theological educators, clinical supervisors, professional chaplains, social scientists, and other experts working within the field of chaplaincy and spiritual care.  Through a program of research, convening and publication, the initiative will aim to strengthen the scholarship and teaching of theological educators; to support their partnerships with clinical educators and spiritual care providers; and to identify specific skills and competencies required for effective chaplaincy across a range of sectors, with a view to proposing general criteria for chaplaincy curricula that individual theological schools can adapt to their own contexts.  The Luce Foundation’s grant will support project leadership and program coordination, curriculum development, the publication of a volume of scholarly essays, annual summer workshops, and a final public conference.
 
Established in 1839, Boston University School of Theology is the oldest United Methodist seminary in North America.  The founding school of Boston University, the School of Theology is currently one of twenty professional schools and colleges within the University.