Book Review

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Book Review: “Cave Walker: A Psychodynamic Approach to Pastoral Care” by Francine L. Hernandez

This Book is Reviewed by Celia P. Munson, M.Div., DPS

“Cave Walker” may seem a strange title for a book on pastoral care. The title draws from the analogy of Plato regarding the man who is chained in a cave facing a wall who only sees shadows that play on the surface in front of him. Plato suggests that person (the “cave dweller”) would assume these shadows are reality. Hernandez takes this illustration to show a pastoral care provider as one who walks unfettered in the cave with the one chained to help not only to be liberated, but also to see the world as it is— not merely a shadow of itself. While this was her main reason for using the term, she also noted that many pastors she knew were also drawn to the term through the story of Elijah in the cave on Mount Horeb (II Kings 19). In that story, it is God who is in the cave with Elijah providing comfort and hopeful counsel as the “cave walker” to the prophet who was reduced through fear to being the cave dweller. Perhaps the link of the term to both philosophy and religion itself informs us that this book embraces a form of ministry that integrates ministering to the spirit and the mind.

For Hernandez, the ideal “cave walker” does not identify as a curer, or as an expert, but as an informed companion. This companion does not walk ahead of the care receiver, or behind, but alongside. Such a person is a diligent reader of the “cave dweller.” The “cave walker” must listen intently to the stories, the hurts, the hopes, the fears of the other. She must use herself as part of the healing process understanding the importance of the ministries of presence and relationship in the healing journey.

Hernandez follows the pattern established by Anton T. Boisen, the fonder of the Clinical Pastoral Movement. Boisen intentionally sought to integrate the psychodynamic work of people such as Sigmund Freud and Harry Stack Sullivan, with theology. Boisen saw religious faith as a potential source of strength or healing, as well a a potential source of personal or relational harm.

Robert Dykstra in his book “Images of Pastoral Care” gives several metaphors to describe the complex role of a pastoral care provider. Among these are “Wounded Healer,” “Hopeful Gardner,” “Intimate Stranger,” “Circus Clown,” and “Wise Fool.” This reviewer believes that “Cave Walker” could join some of these other metaphors for informing this calling.

This reviewer strongly recommends that CPE trainees and pastoral care providers read this book. The book itself is short— approximately 70 pages— and much of it includes stories of the “cave dwellers” Francine Hernandez have encountered through her ministry. In these stories, she has shown herself as the “cave walker” reflecting on her own personal experiences to walk with them with empathy. As such, the book could be described as an “easy read.” Easy, however, does not suggest simplistic or trivial. It is in the stories where some of the most challenging aspects of pastoral care are illustrated.

The book describes a dynamic process that mirrors St. Paul’s word to the Church of Corinth where he speaks of

“The Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all Comfort, who comforts in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we orselves are comforted by God.” -II Corinthians 1:3b-4.

<Francine Hernandez is a Diplomate Supervisor with the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) and former Baptist pastor. This review was originally published in the 2025 edition of the Bukal Life Journal. The journal may be found by CLICKING HERE.>

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Book Review: “Anton T. Boisen (1876-1965) Cooperative Inquiry: Amid the Complex Entangements of Actual Life, 2nd edition” by Robert Charles Powell

Robert Charles Powell’s book, “Anton T. Boisen (1876-1965) Cooperative Inquiry: Amid the Complex Entangements of Actual Life, 2nd edition” is the 3rd of an eventual 7 book series on Anton Boisen, considered to be the “father” of the clinical pastoral movement, and CPE (clinical pastoral education).

This book shares similarities with the first two of the series. For one, it is a series of essays or articles written by Powell over a range of years, related to the life of Boisen or the movement he founded. Second, although he is a medical doctor, Powell’s specialization as a historian and researcher shines through with thorough sourcing and prodigious endnotes. Unlike many books, ignoring the endnotes would be missing some of the most interest parts of the book.

On the other hand, Cooperative Inquiry differs considerably in that it is less about the life of Anton Boisen and more a look at how his legacy is lived out in the members of the clinical pastoral movement. Powell is critical of a number of trends he has seen in the movement and compares its modern condition disfavorably with the more innovative start, particularly 1925-1930, by Boisen and others— with special notice to Helen Florence Dunbar.

Reading the book, I think it is understandable if one might wonder if Powell is a conservative idealist— one who has made the early writings and practices of Boisen and others essentially canon for the movement. Personally, I don’t believe this to be his perspective. He desires for the movement to evolve and innovate, but to do so with historical critique. I think he is asking questions, somewhat as on outsider to the movement of whether the torchbearers of today’s clinical pastoral movement have allowed the flame lit by Boisen, Dunbar, and others to dim. This curiosity shows itself in eight broad questions:

“Whatever happened to pastoral social work? to religious diagnosis? to preventive pastoral care? to maintenance, or everyday, pastoral care? to the theology of pastoral care – especially the theology of everyday life? Whatever happened to religious rituals and symbolism? to religious research? to the development of a critical tradition within CPE?” (p. 16)

A challenge that I found as a reader, one that I feel many others are likely to share, is the limited explanation of the context of various essays. I believe a bit of a roadmap of sorts would help greatly. The essays cover almost a 40 year period. The first essay was presented in 1975 to the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). ACPE was an organization first established in 1967 that sought to join two earlier organizations into one, and in so doing combine two traditions. However, by 1975 there was a growing belief that many of the insights from the tradition of Boisen and Dunbar have been set aside with lip service alone to their importance to the movement. The second essay is written not long after the founding of the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) as an organization seeking to restore this early tradition to prominence. Later essays focus on CPSP and its covenant in examining its success or failure in living up to its own ideals in a changing ministerial landscape. Since the book is published by CPSP Press, it is not unreasonable to think that the majority of readers would be able to interpret the work within the history of the movement, and be familiar with the Covenant of CPSP. However, for outsiders, or those newer to the movement (of whom I might include myself), some additional guidance would be of benefit.

Overall, this book is a fine continuation of Powell’s series on Anton Boisen and his impact on the clinical pastoral movement. I look forward to the publication of the remaining four books.

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Review of “Anton T. Boisen (1876-1965): Breaking an Opening in the Wall Between Religion and Medicine” by Robert C. Powell

BACKGROUND

“ANTON T. BOISEN (1876-1965) :BREAKING AN OPENING IN THE WALL BETWEEN RELIGION AND MEDICINE” by Robert Charles Powell is the 2nd volume of an (ultimately) seven volume set on Anton Boisen and the beginnings of the Clinical Pastoral Movement. The series is all written by Powell and published by CPSP Press and includes as follows:

  • Volume One: Clinical Pastoral Training, Education, and Transformation The First Fifty Years of Learning through Supervised Encounter with “Living Human Documents” (1925-1975)”
  • Volume Two: “Anton T. Boisen (1876-1965): Breaking an Opening in the Wall Between Religion and Medicine”
  • Volume Three: “Anton T. Boisen (1876-1965): Cooperative Inquiry Amid the Complex Entanglements of Actual Life”
  • Volumes Four and Five: Not yet published, but are also on the life and work of Anton T. Boisen.
  • Volumes Six and Seven: Not yet published, but are on the life and work of Helen Flanders Dunbar

Review of Volume One has been done previously, CLICK HERE.

Robert Charles Powell is a psychiatrist as well as a historian. His website is http://www.robertcharlespowell.com/

REVIEW OF VOLUME TWO

For me a good swimming pool has two ends. One end is good for young children, as well as adults who just want to “hang out in the shallows.” The other end is set up for those who want to dive in deep.

The book “Anton T. Boisen (1876-1965): Breaking an Opening in the Wall between Religion and Medicine” is a second volume of what will ultimately be a seven volume set by Robert Charles Powell on Anton Boisen and the early days of the Clinical Pastoral Movement.

Powell describes Boisen as “The founder of a clinically trained, educated, and transformed chaplaincy.” (Part III of book). Boisen was a complicated person whose writings and insights were deeply connected with his life and relationships. As the title of this volume suggests, This book focuses on aspects of Boisen’s life that inform his interest in bridging the gap between Religion (and Theology) and Medicine (and Psychiatry/Psychology).

The swimming pool mentioned above is an appropriate analogy for this book. If one simply wishes to know about aspects of Anton Boisen’s life, the book is relatively short and an easy read. However, if one wishes to dive in deeper, the book has considerable endnotes that in many areas become articles in themselves. The book was meticulously researched, utlizing numerous unpublished works (including personal letters) as well as early versions of works that were later published by Boisen. As such, the book is good for one with a general interest in Boisen and the Clinical Pastoral Movement, as well as serious researchers.

The book, much like Volume One, shows its complex origins, being originally a booklet, but then with multiple iterations of additions, as well as a couple of additional short articles.

Those in clinical chaplaincy, clinical pastoral education/training, and clinical pastoral counseling should understand the roots of their movement. This book is strongly recommended for them, and I look forward to seeing the rest of the seven-volume set being published in the near future.

<Review by Robert H. Munson, Bukal Life Care>

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Review of Raymond Lawrence’s Newest Book

Review of: NINE MORE CLINICAL CASES: Case Studies in Clinical Pastoral Care, Counseling and Psychotherapy, by Raymond Lawrence (General Secretary of CPSP)

Reviewer: Robert Munson (Bukal Life Care, CPSP-Philippines)

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Raymond Lawrence’s book, Nine More Clinical Cases: Case Studies in Clinical Pastoral Care, is a short book. The main body of it is just 70 pages, with additional pages of introductory material. This is his second book that served as a response to a book by George Fitchett and Steve Nolan

Book by George Fitchett and Steve NolanCritique by Raymond Lawrence
First Book CycleSpiritual Care in Practice: Case Studies in Healthcare ChaplaincyNine Clinical Cases: The Soul of Pastoral Care and Counseling
Second Book CycleCase Studies in Spiritual Care: Healthcare Chaplaincy Assessments, Interventions & OutcomesNine More Clinical Cases: Case Studies in Clinical Pastoral Care, Counseling and Psychotherapy

For both of these critiques, Lawrence chose nine of the cases in the book, and in so doing is critiquing some underlying themes that are found in the clinical pastoral training movement today. This critique should be seen neither as “punching up” nor “punching down.” Lawrence, Fitchett and Nolan are very much respected in pastoral care/spiritual care, within their respective camps. These nine cases presumably were chosen specifically because the author had strong views on them, both positive and negative. His reasons, however, are his own.

Lawrence repeats in this book a number of themes that are common to several of his works. Among them are:

  • Expressing his preference of the term “pastoral care” over “spiritual care.” Lawrence notes Nolan at least is aware of problems associated with the term ‘spiritual care.’ Lawrence quotes Nolan on page 65, “The lack of an agreed and articulated definition for spiritual care means that, as a profession, chaplains struggle to explain clearly the nature of the work.” Lawrence sees value in the use of the term religious care— providing care in terms of sacraments, religious symbols, and faith tradition. But for other care he strongly prefers “pastoral care” which he sees as clinical, non-religious (or at least not limited to a specific religious tradition) and grounded in the broadly understood metaphor of the shepherd as a caregiver.
  • Seeing the clinical pastoral training movement as having degraded in moving away from the ideals of its founder, Anton Boisen, and becoming more attached to his former partner in the movement, Richard Cabot. Interestingly however, Lawrence praised Fitchett and Nolan for bringing back emphasis on case studies as an educative tool. Case studies used in clinical pastoral care was developed through the interaction of Boisen, a theologian by training, and Cabot, a medical doctor.
  • Identifying clinical pastoral care as grounded very much in Freudian psychology. This reviewer would prefer that the author would say something to the effect of seeing clinical pastoral care as taking seriously the insights found in “psychodynamics” rather than referring so much back to Freud. For many Sigmund Freud is championed as a great innovator in the field of psychology and the “talking cure.” Many others, both inside and outside of religious circles, know him more for what he was wrong about than for what he was correct. This reviewer believes that Lawrence’s referencing of Freud and Boisen doesn’t suggest an uncritical return to early 20th century theories of the human mind, but rather presents them as founders of two important movements. Lawrence invites the reader to embrace a thoughtful integration of care drawn from the best of theological and psychodynamic insights.
  • Questioning the long-standing tradition of praying to end the pastoral care visit. Some of this question returns to the conflict between Boisen and Cabot, where Cabot saw physicians as those who heal the body, and chaplains as religious experts who pray. Much of Lawrence’s concern, however, stems from the question of who the prayer is really for. While a pastoral care provider may say that the prayer is for the client/patient, quite often this is not the case— especially in multi-religious and somewhat secularized places like the United States. In these places a prayer may not be welcome, or perhaps only welcome from someone within the patient’s own faith community. Here in the Philippines, however, prayer is almost always uncritically welcomed by the patient. Part of this desire comes from the common presumption here that the pastoral care provider has a special relationship with God that makes his/her prayers just a bit more powerful than their own. (That view may be comforting to the care provider but really is something that shouldn’t be promoted.) Regardless of the wishes of the patient, prayer is all too often done for the benefit of the care provider. This person often prays with the unspoken message, “I don’t think there is very much I can do, but at least I can pray.” This sells one short in the possibility of truly providing critical therapeutic care for the patient. Additionally, praying almost always is used as a signal. The signal is, “Well, I have run out of things to say and I really want to leave, so let’s do a prayer so I can go.” (It should be noted that in a conversation with Raymond Lawrence a couple of years ago, he made it clear that he was not opposed to prayer. But he said that prayer should be requested by the patient, not pushed by the care provider. Also, if prayer is asked for, the care provider should utilize this to draw more out of the patient— “What would you want me to pray for?” “Tell me more about this?” In doing this, the patient actually crafts the prayer and the care provider simply puts the patients prayerful longing into verbal form.)

Much like his previous book critique, this book avoids unnecessary wordiness. Generally it makes its point and moves on. Yet it is also written so that if one had not read the book it critiques, one can still understand the case well enough to follow the points well. That is quite useful. Cases also have the advantage of enlivening interest and the imagination where traditional exposition fails.

This book is not a polemic, but invites dialogue. Powell’s well-written Foreword frames the monograph in this light for the first-time reader of Lawrence’s works. Lawrence sees growth in the clinical pastoral training movement through this sort of dialogue and critique. Page xi of the Introduction sums this up when comparing two major streams within this movement:

Let the reader decide which is more representative of the authentic clinical pastoral training movement. Let the reader decide which position is more therapeutic. Let the reader determine what posture most accurately speaks for Anton Boisen, the founder of the clinical pastoral training movement. And let the reader decide whether some new direction should be called for at large. But no one is beyond the reach of criticism. Criticism is the lifeblood of the clinical pastoral training movement.

That being said, the Epilogue of Lawrence’s book does serve as a direct challenge to Glenn Fitchett’s work promoting “Evidence-Based Outcomes” as it relates to Clinical Pastoral Care. While I find Lawrence’s arguments weighty, this is another area where some back and forth dialogue is needed in the coming years.

I strongly recommend this book for those who care about chaplaincy and clinical pastoral care. You may agree wholeheartedly with Lawrence’s views, or disagree strenuously. Both are okay. As the quote says above… “Let the reader decide…”

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New Book by Raymond Lawrence

Congratulations on the publication of Dr. Raymond Lawrence’s new book, “Nine More Clinical Cases: Case Studies in Clinical Pastoral Care, Counseling and Psychotherapy.” He is the General Secretary of The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (that parent organization of CPSP-Philippines). The book is a critique of nine of the cases in a book by Nolan and Fitchett. In fact, it is a sequel critique of Nolan and Fichett’s sequel. If you are confused, it is like this:

Book by George Fitchett and Steve NolanCritique by Raymond Lawrence
First Book CycleSpiritual Care in Practice: Case Studies in Healthcare ChaplaincyNine Clinical Cases: The Soul of Pastoral Care and Counseling
Second Book CycleCase Studies in Spiritual Care: Healthcare Chaplaincy Assessments, Interventions & OutcomesNine More Clinical Cases: Case Studies in Clinical Pastoral Care, Counseling and Psychotherapy

Lawrence embraces very different philosophical and practical views of chaplaincy from Fitchett and Nolan. However, as noted by Robert Powell in the Foreward of Lawrence’s book, the goal is to present a critique of the first to give two different perspectives and invite readers to decide for themselves. Lawrence sees himself as in the tradition of Anton Boisen… who embraced an integration of theological and psychoanalytic principles. Fitchett and Nolan draw from the tradition of Cabot… embracing a more religious role for chaplains, disconnected from the healing work in hospitals.

One thing that Lawrence, Fitchett, and Nolan clearly appear to agree on is the value of case studies for presentation, analysis and critique. Curiously, that was an are that Boisen and Cabot also agreed. So readers are invited to read the cases, and the critiques and decide for themselves.