Duane Bidwell

Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Spiritual Care, and Counseling

Office
Craig 216
Phone
(909) 447-2528
Email

An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Dr. Bidwell teaches, writes, and researches at the intersection of pastoral theology and spirituality. He uses qualitative and social constructionist methods to understand and to respond faithfully and effectively to human experiences of joy, suffering, wonder and mystery.

At Claremont Lincoln University and Claremont School of Theology, he teaches introductory practical theology and spiritual care; short-term counseling; death, dying, and bereavement; the care and counseling of couples and families; and an introduction to chaplaincy. He also serves on a rotating basis as training director at The Clinebell Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy, where he maintains a counseling and spiritual direction practice.

Current projects include:

  • A qualitative analysis of children's accounts of hope in chronic illness, for which he and research partner Don Batisky, M.D., of Emory University, received a collaborative research grant from the Lilly Endowment and the Association of Theological Schools.
  • Empowering Couples: A Narrative, Pastoral Approach to Spiritual Care, which places contemporary research on resilient partnerships into conversation with the Christian desert traditions and the practices of narrative psychotherapy.
  • “Beyond Apologetics,” a 13-member collaborative of scholar-practitioners that explores the intersection of pastoral theology, sexual identities, and pastoral practices. Dr. Bidwell is co-director of the project with Joretta Marshall, Ph.D., of Brite Divinity School. The project is funded by the Carpenter Foundation.

Dr. Bidwell's teaching, research and writing are informed by the practice of vipassana (insight) meditation in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He considers Buddhism a second spiritual "home" and has a keen interest in hybrid religious/spiritual identities and Buddhist-Christian dialogue.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Bidwell was Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care, and Counseling at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa. From 2002-2007, he directed the Pastoral Care and Training Center, an accredited pastoral counseling center at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Bidwell is a clinical Fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, co-editor of The Journal of Pastoral Theology, and has served as chaplain, parish pastor, spiritual director, pastoral counselor, and director of a community AIDS agency.

Education

B.S. - Texas Christian University
M.Div. - Brite Divinity School
Ph.D. - Brite Divinity School

Recent Publications / Achievements

The Formation of Pastoral Counselors: Opportunities and Challenges (Routledge, 2007). (Co-edited with Joretta L. Marshall)

Short-Term Spiritual Guidance (Augsburg Fortress, 2004)

"Christic Heart: A Biblical Spirituality for Spiritual Care and Assessment," Professional-in-Residence lectures at Texas Medical City in Houston, June 2011.

"Disorientations: Pastoral Counselors, Possibilities, and a Spirit of Skewed Perspectives," plenary address at the national meeting of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, April 2, 2011.

“Identity and Wisdom as Elements of a Spirituality of Hope among Children with End-stage Renal Disease,” Journal of Childhood and Religion 2 (2011). (Co-authored with Donald L. Batisky, M.D.)

“Wanting to Die: How to Prevent Suicide” in The Church Leader's Counseling Resource Book, Cynthia Franklin and Rowena Fong, eds. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), p. 218-227.

“Fluid Desire: Same-sex Attraction and Discernment in the Context of Spiritual Care,” Beyond Apologetics Symposium in Fort Worth, Oct. 7, 2010.

"Eschatology and Childhood Hope: Reflections from Work in Progress," The Journal of Pastoral Theology, 20:2 (2010): 109-127.

“Abundance in Finitude: An Exploratory Study of Children’s Accounts of Hope in Chronic Illness,” The Journal of Pastoral Theology 19:1 (2009): 38-59. (Co-authored with Donald L. Batisky, M.D.)

“The Embedded Psychology of Contemporary Spiritual Direction,” Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health 11:3 (2009): 1-24.

“Practicing the Religious Self: Buddhist-Christian Identity as Social Artifact,” Journal of Buddhist-Christian Studies 28 (2008): 3-12.