PhD Student Profile: Michael K. Washington

September 8, 2021

Area of Study: Pastoral Theology, Personality and Culture

I am ordained to word and sacrament with the Evangelical Covenant Church and had served two Chicago churches for 16 years until beginning my doctoral studies in 2017. I am credentialed through the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education as a Certified Educator, a board certified chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains, and have served as adjunct faculty for Garrett-Evangelical (2008-2017) and North Park Theological Seminaries (2015-Present). I am a chaplain and clinical pastoral educator at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

With formal education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (BS, Psychology), Wheaton College (MA, Theology), and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (MDiv), I am pursuing interests through the PhD in Pastoral Theology, Personality, and Culture focusing upon transformative learning for ministers such as clinical pastoral education, health inequity as it impacts black people, healing from trauma, and the impact of hearing, holding, and sharing stories. I am the proud father of two beautiful boys, Bryce and Brooks who are my best teachers and favorite students.

Papers and Publications

“This is My Body: Investigating Possibilities for Spiritual Care,” Association for Practical Theology Conference, April, 2020.

“Reconciling as a Primary Act of Spiritual Care,” Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, December, 2019.

“Pedagogy as a Path to Liberative Dynamics in Pastoral Theology,” Response Paper, AAR Psychology, Culture, & Religion Unit, November 25, 2019.

“Healthy and Not: Being Both at Once,” Covenant Quarterly, March, 2019.

“Sacred Reading as a Pedagogical and Pastoral Response to Tragedy,” Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Unearthing the Bonds That Hold Us Together Paulo Freire Conference, March 15, 2019.