Martin Buber's impact on pastoral counseling: A critical analysis of the appropriation of Martin Buber's philosophy by three major pastoral counseling theorists (Reuel Howe, Paul Johnson, and Carroll Wise)

This dissertation examines Martin Buber's impact on pastoral counseling in America during its formative years as an academic discipline from 1950 to 1970, and focuses on Buber's impact on Reuel Howe, Paul Johnson, and Carroll Wise—three leaders in the field at that time who incorporated Buber's ideas into their theories of pastoral counseling.;This dissertation addresses the following questions: (1) What has been the impact of Martin Buber on the field of Pastoral Care and Counseling in America as depicted in the perspectives of Reuel Howe, Paul Johnson, and Carroll Wise? (2) How do Howe, Johnson, and Wise deal similarly and/or differently from Buber with four themes central to all theories of pastoral counseling, that is, how does each theorist understand and explain: (a) the nature or concept of the Self, (b) the relation of the individual to other people and to God, (c) the nature or process of health, healing or salvation, and (d) the relation or role of the pastoral counselor to persons/parishioners? (3) What aspects of Buber's approach appear to hold value for the field of Pastoral Care and Counseling?;To address these questions, Martin Buber's approach to I-and-Thou relationships is presented and reviewed. Next the perspectives of Howe, Johnson and Wise are presented and compared to Buber's dialogic philosophy. Then Buber's dialogic philosophy is translated into a relational paradigm and critiqued for its benefits and limitations related to pastoral counseling. Following this, the perspectives of Howe, Johnson and Wise are critiqued in light of Buber's relational paradigm. Finally the importance of this study is suggested.;The conclusion of this dissertation is that Howe and Johnson were strongly influenced by Buber's ideas and appropriated some of his ideas into their writings, whereas Wise was at least cursorily familiar with Buber's writings and may have been influenced by Buber's ideas, but appropriated little if any of Buber's concepts into his own perspective on pastoral counseling. It is also concluded that Buber's dialogic philosophy holds value for current pastoral counseling training and praxis.