Exploring Spiritual Care 

If you have not yet participated in one of Christian Theological Seminary’s Lifelong Learning Series webinars, this year’s free online series may be a good opportunity to begin. The series, part of CTS’s Lifelong Learning offerings, is designed to bring thoughtful conversations to alumni, ministry leaders, helping professionals, and community members beyond the classroom. 

According to Dr. Francisco Lozada, Jr., Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, the purpose of the series is rooted in the seminary’s belief that formation and learning continue long after a student leaves campus. 

“The CTS Lifelong Learning Series reflects our belief that theological education does not end at graduation,” Lozada said. “It is part of CTS’s public mission to the Church and Society to create opportunities for clergy, counselors, nonprofit leaders, healthcare professionals, educators, alumni, and interested members of the community to continue learning throughout their lives.” 

This year’s series explores spiritual care and chaplaincy, inviting participants to consider what faithful and effective care requires in an increasingly complex and changing world. 

The first installment, “Spiritual Care for Religious Nones,” features Ben Iten, president of The Humanist Society. The webinar will examine the term “religious nones,” commonly used to describe atheists, agnostics, and people who are religiously unaffiliated, while drawing important distinctions among these diverse groups. 

Iten will discuss how individuals within these communities may understand meaning, identity, and the world differently—and why those differences matter for spiritual care providers. The session will give particular attention to practices that support existential reflection and accompany people through significant life transitions. 

Lozada said the webinar format is intentional. “I believe the webinar format is the best way to capture a large audience,” he said. The broader goal is to make high-quality theological and professional education accessible to people serving in a wide range of contexts. 

“The series brings expert voices into conversation around issues that matter to both faith communities and society,” Lozada said. “The goal is to offer intellectually rigorous, practically relevant, and spiritually enriching programs that help participants think more deeply about the challenges facing our communities today.” 

The audience for the series is intentionally broad. Lozada said CTS welcomes ministers, mental health professionals, students, alumni, nonprofit leaders, educators, healthcare providers, and anyone interested in thoughtful theological and professional conversations at the intersection of faith, mental health, and public life. 

Participants, he said, should leave with new knowledge and perspectives from recognized leaders, as well as practical insights they can apply in their ministries, professions, counseling, and communities. He also hopes the sessions offer “a renewed sense of hope and purpose as they respond to complex social and spiritual challenges in today’s world.” 

“Ultimately, we want people to leave asking better questions, thinking more deeply, and serving more faithfully,” Lozada said. 

For the September webinar, Lozada said Iten’s presentation fits directly into the overall theme by expanding how participants think about care of the soul. “One of the central ideas of this year’s Care of the Soul series is that authentic care requires us to engage in the realities of the world in which we minister and serve,” he said. “Today, chaplains, spiritual care providers, counselors, clergy, and other caregivers increasingly encounter people from a wide range of religious traditions, spiritual backgrounds, and secular worldviews. It is this latter that we must not overlook.” 

Lozada said Iten’s work invites participants to think about compassionate presence in spiritually diverse settings. “Ben’s presentation broadens our understanding of soul care by inviting us to consider how compassionate presence, attentive listening, and ethical accompaniment are practiced in spiritually diverse settings,” he said. “Exploring the work of a Humanist Chaplain does not ask participants to set aside their own convictions; rather, it challenges us to think more deeply about what it means to care for the whole person with dignity, respect, and compassion. These are CTS’s values.” 

The topic is also timely, Lozada said, because caregivers and leaders are serving communities where religious and philosophical diversity is part of everyday life. 

“In today’s volatile society when differences create walls, Ben’s presentation is timely to learn how to build bridges to create communities of belonging,” Lozada said. “How do we practice chaplaincy in a pluralist setting, and how do we walk with others with different beliefs with compassion, respect, and dignity?” 

Speakers for the series are selected around themes and questions pressing both for CTS students and the wider communities CTS serves. Lozada said he begins either with themes emerging from the President’s office or with “the themes and questions that are most pressing for our communities and our students.” From there, CTS seeks nationally recognized scholars, practitioners, authors, and leaders whose work combines intellectual excellence with practical wisdom. 

“We also look for speakers who embody CTS’s values of thoughtful engagement, inclusion, and service, and who can help participants connect scholarship with lived experience,” he said. 

The series has also changed as the needs of churches, helping professionals, and communities have changed. What began with as a series of topical online courses geared towards micro-credentialing for pastors and lay leaders has become, Lozada said, increasingly interdisciplinary and engaging to a larger audience. While the series remains rooted in theological studies, it now brings together voices from counseling, advocacy, chaplaincy, healthcare, public policy, nonprofit leadership, and other disciplines. 

“That evolution reflects the changing realities our churches and communities face,” Lozada said. “Questions about mental health, social isolation, trauma, leadership, and human flourishing cannot be addressed by a single discipline alone.” 

Lozada said each webinar is designed to stand on its own, so participants can attend the sessions that most closely connect with their interests or work. At the same time, the full series is meant to offer broader and deeper experience. 

“Each speaker offers a different perspective on the year’s theme, allowing participants to engage it from multiple disciplinary, theological, and practical angles,” he said. “The overall experience provides a richer and more comprehensive understanding than any single event alone.” 

Register for the webinar “Spiritual Care for Religious Nones” 

Learn more about the 2026-2027 Lifelong Learning webinar series