Rev. Katherine C. Rand, PhD
My work resides at the intersection of education, social change, and spirituality. I think in systems and act in individual relationships; I am called to support the inner work that must occur at all levels in order to further healing, and to support systems and cultures where care and belonging are paramount. That means rethinking and restructuring much of how our society currently operates—as in deep, meaningful, and transformative change—and it means centering relationship in all that we do.
I am a spiritual care scholar-practitioner who believes that the skills and functions of chaplaincy are needed in many more contexts than hospitals, prisons, the military, and universities (where they are currently most prevalent). All people deserve to be cared for, and to be supported in lifelong learning that helps them connect more deeply to their meaning and purpose. Again, this requires creating cultures of care (Meera Ghani) , because if we really want to further healing, we cannot think about the health of individuals without thinking about the health of systems; they are of course inseparable.
I have a deep and abiding interest in professional formation/development, in collaborative and relational research, and in the power of narrative and reflective practice to cultivate connection and heal deep wounds in our collective psyche. My interest in relational approaches draws from a lifetime of immersive intercultural and experiential learning and has a theoretical grounding in an ethics of care, critical theory, and social construction. My grandfather Randolph Crump Miller, who professed a theology of relationship (or process relational theology), perhaps by osmosis planted those seeds.
In addition to academic and clinical training in spiritual care, I have extensive experience facilitating and leading interdisciplinary/cross-functional initiatives in education, nonprofit, and government settings. I’ve worked in a secondary school context supporting the well-being of students, faculty/staff, and the entire organization through social emotional programming and whole school restorative practices. And I am currently involved with grassroots, volunteer-led initiatives: in the area of political education and advocacy around incarceration, as well as with an organization that supports families in conscious decision-making around their children’s schooling, as a way of moving away from individualist notions of what’s best for my child and towards solidarity, collective care, and integrated education.
I am an ordained Buddhist lay minister and my primary spiritual practice and community is Jodo Shinshu; I also have a strong background in insight or vipassana meditation as taught by Ashin Tejaniya and have been deeply informed by the teachings of Vimala Thakar and Jiddu Krishnamurti. At its heart, my spirituality consists of being in meaningful relationship with others and the natural world, and in working toward expanding compassion and the flourishing of all human beings, what might be called co-liberation.
I am a graduate of the foundations program of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, I participated in the first cohort of Daring Compassion: Movement Chaplaincy, and I have completed four units of ACPE-accredited chaplaincy in a healthcare context. I also have a BA in religion from Carleton College, an MPP (public policy) from the University of Maryland, and an MA and PhD in practical theology from Claremont School of Theology.