Episode May 1, 2025 28 min 2s

Helping the Good Shepherd: Pastoral Counselors in a Psychotherapeutic Culture

This academic work, Helping the Good Shepherd: Pastoral Counselors in a Psychotherapeutic Culture, 1925–1975 by Susan E. Myers-Shirk, explores the historical development of pastoral counseling within the context of an evolving psychotherapeutic landscape in the United States. The book examines how liberal Protestant clergy navigated the increasing influence of psychology and science on their traditional roles as spiritual guides. It traces the emergence of clinical pastoral education and the theories and practices that shaped pastoral counseling, including the impact of figures like Anton Boisen and Carl Rogers. Furthermore, the study considers how pastoral counselors addressed issues of morality, gender, and the individual in their counseling approaches, while also analyzing the later rise of evangelical Christian counseling as a distinct movement.

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