Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen: A Lived Theological Education

ABSTRACT

Working from the insights of a chaplaincy encounter around death and burial rites, this essay argues for the education of Muslim chaplains that is grounded in Muslim pastoral theology. Muslim chaplains must be prepared to face intersecting sociological, psychological, racial, and cultural issues that arise in spiritual ministry. Lived theological education helps Muslim chaplains root and integrate spiritual care in one’s faith tradition and a theory of professional practice. Theological schools need to ensure that they are actively educating Muslim chaplains in ways that develop multidimensional cultural sensitivity and interpersonal skills that assist in navigating intersectional care experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Muslim pastoral theology
• Muslim identity
• chaplain education
• intersectionality
• compassionate care

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Jackson, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”.

2 Edward Farley, Theologia, 152–56.

3 Ibid., 201.

4 Xiong, Isgandarova, and Panton, International Journal of Practical Theology, 5–28.

5 Mital, Wolff, and Carroll, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 213.

6 Cooper, Shared Wisdom, 126.

7 Ansari, Postcolonial Images of Spiritual Care, 92–5.

8 Campbell, "Muslim Face Bias in State Prisons."

9 Athari theology is a literalist hermeneutical approach to faith, scripture, and spiritual practice based on a restrictive legal philosophy that rejects rationalistic tools for reasoning in religious matters particularly.

10 Higginbotham, Journal of Pastoral Theology, 93–106.

11 The Association of Muslim Chaplains (AMC) is a professional association that I co-founded in 2006.

12 Boisen, Images of Pastoral Care.

13 Miller-McLemore, Pastoral Psychology, 305–21.

14 Ansari, “‘Whispers’ of Black Exclusion in the ACPE Pacific Region GTU Archives”.

15 Farley, Theologia, 201.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bilal W. Ansari

Bilal W. Ansari is a Faculty Associate in Muslim Pastoral Theology at Hartford International University and Assistant Vice President for Campus Engagement at Williams College. As AVP for Campus Engagement in the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, he works with students, faculty, and staff to build an inclusive and equitable campus. Prior to this, Ansari served as a chaplain in both federal and state prisons.