considering a shift towards theology...?

[veritasluxmea]

Hi, all -- 

 

I'm in a sort of weird position and considering a significant shift in the direction of my academic plan. I have a BS honors in Sociology from a women's college, with some time studying abroad on the Protestant Reformation. I'm currently working on my dual MA in Sociology and Women's & Gender Studies at Brandeis U, with a specialty in religion and sexuality but also some work in Judaism and medical/healthcare sociology. I've recently developed an interest in working in healthcare from a faith-based position (i.e. as a hospital chaplain).

 

So, my question - what can you all tell me about the possibilities slash process for making my way towards clinical pastoral education? There seem to be many opinions about the alphabet soup that is Divinity School and strategically speaking I'm not sure how to get where I want to go. Pardon my ignorance about this world, just an inquiry at this point.

[coffeekid]

Let me affirm for you the confusion about the CPE process. Even when you can find some guidelines about requirements and the process, details can be unclear.

ACPE states that, to be eligible for a unit of CPE, one must have "a written application and an admissions interview, has demonstrated the ability to participate in CPE, usually one who has successfully completed at least one year of theological school" (http://www.acpe.edu/faq.htm#faq21, question 8).

From the outset, this requirement might seem to preclude you from CPE. The problem is that CPE is mostly designed for people who will be using their CPE education in conjunction with another theological degree (usually MDiv, sometimes MTS).

 

However, I would encourage you to call around to a few sites and speak to the CPE supervisor (don't settle for any pastoral care administrative person) and be forthright about your intentions. The supervisor is going to be the person deciding your entrance into a program, so talking to her/him will be best. Some supervisors are old school, only looking for pastors and chaplains in training. Others are more open minded, liking a diversity of perspectives for the group process, and realizing that CPE has a lot to offer many different career paths.

You will definitely have a great perspective to offer any CPE group, and I really hope they will let you in. But you will have to be very honest about your intentions, and reflect on it a bit beforehand. Look over the ACPE guidelines and application details.

Above all, be a bit persistent, especially given some obstacles you might face. I was originally told that I wouldn't be eligible to go straight into a CPE residency because of a variety of vocational (academic) and experience issues, but I ended up being accepted into a good program, and my supervisor and I now have a great working relationship.

[Yetanotherdegree]

I did CPE before starting my MDiv (the summer before.) The supervisor had no problem with my sequence of courses etc, and it sounds like you have more relevant courses going in than I did, by a considerable amount. Is hospital chaplaincy your goal? If so, you will need CPE, and you can certainly apply whenever you could do it. Not all supervisors will accept you without some theological training, but some will. If this is your plan, you will also want to talk to someone from your faith tradition (pastor, rabbi, etc) in order to make sure you have appropriate support and fulfill any requirements they may have for them to endorse you.