Hartford Seminary Launches Program in Chaplaincy in Multifaith Contexts

For immediate release

HARTFORD, CT (January 31, 2012) -- Hartford Seminary, a leader in interfaith education, announces a new, innovative program in chaplaincy in multifaith contexts.

Open to chaplains and those who plan to become chaplains, the Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy in Multifaith Contexts is designed to deepen understanding of religious diversity and to sharpen professional skills needed for service in multifaith contexts.

The ground-breaking Graduate Certificate is a 24-credit program for concrete study of topics such as religious diversity in North America, theologies and philosophies of religious diversity, and theology and ethics for the practice of spiritual care.

Its foundational courses – “Understanding and Engaging Religious Diversity” and “Chaplaincy Models and Methods” – will be offered as one-week seminars in June 2012.

Program requirements include completion of one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, plus field work in a multifaith setting. Through elective courses, enrollees also will explore each of four themes: Theology or Sacred Texts, Life's Transitions, Institutional Settings, and Dialogue and Conflict-Resolution.

“Hartford Seminary is known for offering opportunities for collegial study in a multifaith setting,” said Faculty Associate Lucinda Mosher, who will be the program director. “This new Graduate Certificate takes full advantage of that. It is also designed to be practical. Those planning to pursue board certification as chaplains will find much in the program to help them gain the competencies required by certifying agencies.”

More than a decade ago, Hartford Seminary started the first Islamic Chaplaincy Program, to train Muslims for chaplaincy in the military, universities, hospitals and prisons. Today, this program is thriving. Now, in this new program, the Seminary is building on its expertise to educate chaplains of all faiths for service in multifaith contexts.

“Once again, Hartford Seminary is a pioneer in theological education,” President Heidi Hadsell said. “For more than 100 years we have offered education in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. In the last decade we have launched Islamic Chaplaincy and Building Abrahamic Partnerships programs. Now we are meeting the educational needs of all chaplains in the United States.”

“It is vitally important to prepare religious leaders to lead their faith communities in our plural society. Hartford Seminary is a key player in this effort, through our various interfaith initiatives such as this new certificate,” Hadsell said.

For more details about the program, click here  or contact Dr. Lucinda Mosher, Director of the Program & Faculty Associate in Interfaith Studies, at (646) 335-2951 or lmosher@hartsem.edu.

Contact Tina Demo, Director of Recruitment and Admissions, at (860) 509-9549 or tdemo@hartsem.edu, with inquiries and for admissions materials.