Spring 2021 Chaplain Interview Series: Protestant Chaplain Reverend Dan Bell

Summary

In this insightful conversation, Chaplain Dan Bell discusses his journey to becoming a chaplain at Tufts University and his passion for chaplaincy, emphasizing its life-giving nature and interfaith engagement. He shares his thoughts on adapting religious rituals, like foot washing, to the pandemic context by focusing on the sacredness of hand washing. Dan also delves into the concept of pastoral care, highlighting its importance in providing non-judgmental support and guidance. The discussion underscores the value of interfaith dialogue and the chaplaincy's role in fostering community and meaning, even in challenging times.

Takeaways

• 😀 Chaplain Dan has been at Tufts University since 2016, serving as a Protestant chaplain.
• 🏥 Dan's initial career path was towards traditional parish ministry, but he found chaplaincy at Tufts to be life-giving and fulfilling.
• 🌐 Dan appreciates the interfaith aspect of chaplaincy, allowing him to interact with a diverse community at Tufts.
• 🤲 He has been contemplating adapting religious rituals, such as foot washing, to the context of the pandemic, like washing hands as an act of love and care.
• 🙏 Dan believes in the significance of Good Friday, where Christians remember Jesus' crucifixion, and sees a connection between God's suffering and the suffering of marginalized people today.
• 👥 Pastoral care, as described by Dan, is about being fully present for someone seeking support without judgment, helping them explore their inner world.
• 🤝 Accompaniment in pastoral care means walking alongside individuals, supporting them in finding their own answers to life's questions.
• 🌈 Students seek pastoral care for a wide range of issues, from religious concerns to personal and family matters.
• 🏛️ Dan wishes students knew that pastoral care is for everyone, regardless of religious or philosophical background, and is about exploring life's big picture.
• 🎭 A fun fact about Chaplain Dan is his tradition of dressing as Captain Kirk from Star Trek for Halloween concerts, revealing his past enthusiasm for the series.

Q & A

How did Chaplain Dan become a chaplain at Tufts University?

Chaplain Dan started at Tufts in 2016 after hearing about an opening from a colleague who previously held the position. At the time, he was completing a chaplaincy residency at Mass General Hospital in Boston and was looking for his next opportunity.

What initially attracted Chaplain Dan to the field of chaplaincy?

Chaplain Dan was initially drawn to traditional parish ministry but found chaplaincy at Tufts to be life-giving due to its interfaith component, diverse colleagues, and the vibrant campus environment where he could interact with people from all over the world.

How does Chaplain Dan view the role of chaplaincy, especially during the pandemic?

Chaplain Dan sees chaplaincy as a way to explore and try things that might not be possible in a traditional congregation. During the pandemic, he has been contemplating rituals like hand washing as sacred acts of love and care for oneself and others.

What is Chaplain Dan's perspective on the significance of Good Friday in the context of current global issues?

Chaplain Dan believes that the suffering Jesus experienced during the crucifixion is symbolic of the suffering God continues to endure with those who experience pain and marginalization. He sees a connection between Jesus' victimization and the plight of marginalized groups today.

Can you describe what Pastoral Care means to Chaplain Dan?

Pastoral Care for Chaplain Dan is about being fully present for someone seeking consolation, care, or guidance without judgment or agenda. It involves accompanying individuals through their pain, questions, and existential experiences, helping them find meaning and purpose.

What does Chaplain Dan wish students knew more about Pastoral Care?

Chaplain Dan wishes students knew that Pastoral Care is for everyone, regardless of religious or philosophical affiliation. It's about exploring life's big questions, finding meaning, and discovering one's purpose in a supportive and non-judgmental environment.

What are some common topics that students discuss with Chaplain Dan during Pastoral Care sessions?

Students often discuss religious concerns, family issues, and future decisions like internships or jobs. They also seek help in discerning their beliefs and identity, especially if they've experienced a shift from their upbringing.

What is Chaplain Dan's most memorable moment as a chaplain at Tufts?

Chaplain Dan fondly remembers the annual interfaith field trips to Boston, which included visits to Saint Paul's Cathedral and interactions with both Episcopal and Muslim communities, providing students with insights into interfaith life beyond campus.

What are Chaplain Dan's aspirations for the future of the Tufts University Chaplaincy?

Chaplain Dan hopes to make better use of Goddard Chapel and the Interfaith Center by creating more welcoming spaces for everyone on campus. He envisions more creative use of these spaces for interfaith collaborations and community engagement.

What is a fun fact about Chaplain Dan that he shares with the Tufts community?

Chaplain Dan is a 'recovering trekkie' and has a tradition of wearing a Captain Kirk uniform from the original Star Trek series for the Halloween concert at Tufts.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Introduction to Chaplain Dan Bell

In this introductory paragraph, Reesha, a student worker at the chaplaincy, welcomes everyone to the conversation with Chaplain Dan Bell. Dan shares his journey to becoming a chaplain at Tufts University, starting in 2016 through a connection with a colleague. He discusses his initial interest in traditional parish ministry and how his experience at Tufts has been life-giving, highlighting the interfaith component and the opportunity to engage with a diverse community. Dan also touches on his current role serving an Episcopal church half-time while working at the university.

05:01

🙏 Reflecting on Holy Week and Rituals

Chaplain Dan Bell reflects on Holy Week, particularly Monday of the Holy Week, also known as Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper. Traditionally, Christians gather for foot-washing rituals, but due to the pandemic, Dan suggests an alternative: a sacred hand-washing practice as an act of love and care for oneself and others. This idea connects the routine act of hand-washing during the pandemic to a deeper spiritual significance, emphasizing community care and personal well-being.

10:02

🕊 Beliefs and Pastoral Care in Chaplain's Role

Dan discusses his beliefs, focusing on Good Friday, which remembers the crucifixion and death of Jesus. He believes that God suffers with those who experience pain and alienation, especially those marginalized by society. Dan then describes pastoral care as being fully present for someone in need, without judgment or agenda, and supporting them in finding meaning and purpose. He emphasizes the importance of accompaniment, being with individuals in their existential journeys, and helping them connect more deeply with themselves, others, and the divine.

15:05

🌟 Memorable Moments and Future Vision for Chaplaincy

Chaplain Dan shares his most memorable moments, including interfaith field trips to Boston, which allowed students to engage with different faith communities and learn about interfaith collaboration. He expresses a desire to revive such experiences post-pandemic. Looking to the future, Dan envisions making Goddard Chapel and the Interfaith Center more accessible and hospitable for the entire Tufts community, fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging interfaith activities. He also shares a personal fun fact, revealing his past as a 'recovering trekkie,' and his annual tradition of dressing as Captain Kirk for Halloween concerts.

Keywords

💡Chaplain

A chaplain is a religious leader who provides spiritual care and guidance, often within a specific institution such as a university, hospital, or military. In the context of the video, Chaplain Dan Bell is a Protestant chaplain at Tufts University, offering support and pastoral care to students, faculty, and staff. His role is to be present for those seeking consolation, care, and guidance, regardless of their religious or philosophical background.

💡Pastoral Care

Pastoral care refers to the ministry of providing spiritual and emotional support to individuals, often during times of need or crisis. In the video, Chaplain Dan describes pastoral care as being fully present to someone seeking support, without judgment or agenda, and helping them explore their inner world, find meaning, and connect more deeply with themselves, others, and the divine.

💡Interfaith

Interfaith refers to interaction or cooperation between people of different religious beliefs. Chaplain Dan highlights the interfaith component of his work, which involves engaging with individuals from a variety of religious and philosophical backgrounds. This is exemplified by the interfaith field trips to Boston, where students from different faith traditions would visit and learn from each other.

💡Holy Week

Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter in Christian tradition, commemorating the last week of Jesus' life. Chaplain Dan discusses how the pandemic has influenced the way he thinks about rituals during Holy Week, such as the foot washing on Maundy Thursday, which he suggests adapting to hand washing as an act of love and care during the pandemic.

💡Good Friday

Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Chaplain Dan expresses his belief in the significance of Good Friday, noting that God suffers with those who experience pain and alienation, especially those marginalized or brutalized by society.

💡Accompaniment

In the context of pastoral care, accompaniment refers to walking alongside individuals on their spiritual or emotional journey, rather than providing all the answers. Chaplain Dan emphasizes the importance of being present with people in their pain and questions, allowing them to find their own answers and explore their own beliefs.

💡Marginalized

Marginalized refers to individuals or groups who are treated as less important or excluded from society's benefits. Chaplain Dan discusses how God suffers with the marginalized, such as those who are oppressed due to their race, beliefs, or origins, and how these individuals are one with Christ in the crucifixion.

💡Resurrection

The resurrection refers to the Christian belief in Jesus' rising from the dead on Easter Sunday. Chaplain Dan mentions the resurrection as a symbol of new life and redemption, which is a central theme in Christian faith and a source of hope for those who suffer.

💡Diversity

Diversity refers to the variety of different characteristics among people, such as race, religion, and culture. The video script highlights the importance of diversity in the university chaplaincy, as Chaplain Dan enjoys meeting students, faculty, and staff from all over the world and from various backgrounds.

💡Empire

In the context of the video, 'empire' refers to oppressive political systems or powers that historically have caused suffering and marginalization. Chaplain Dan draws a parallel between Jesus' victimization by the Roman Empire and the suffering of those victimized by modern oppressive systems.

Highlights

Chaplain Dan shares his journey of becoming a chaplain at Tufts University, starting in 2016.

Dan discusses his initial vision of traditional parish ministry and how chaplaincy has been life-giving for him.

The interfaith component and diverse campus community at Tufts are highlighted as enriching aspects of chaplaincy.

Dan reflects on the significance of Holy Week and the adaptation of rituals like foot washing to hand washing during the pandemic.

The concept of hand washing as a sacred act of love and care is introduced.

Dan explains the Christian belief in God's suffering alongside humanity, especially during times of marginalization and oppression.

Pastoral care is defined as the ministry of being fully present to someone seeking support.

Accompaniment in pastoral care is emphasized as walking alongside individuals on their journey of self-discovery.

Dan shares that students seek pastoral care for a wide range of issues, from religious concerns to personal struggles.

The importance of non-judgmental spaces for students to explore their beliefs and identities is discussed.

Dan wishes students knew that pastoral care is for everyone, regardless of religious or philosophical affiliations.

The impact of interfaith field trips and the value of experiencing different faith communities are shared as memorable experiences.

Dan expresses a vision for the future of Tufts University Chaplaincy, including better utilization of sacred spaces like Goddard Chapel.

The hope for in-person interfaith and community events to resume post-pandemic is expressed.

A fun fact about Chaplain Dan's annual Halloween tradition of wearing a Captain Kirk uniform is revealed.

Transcripts

hi

thank you everyone for joining us today

for a conversation with the protestant

chaplain dan

bell um could you please share it my

name is reesha zdg

i'm a student worker at the chaplaincy

could you please share your name and

pronounce dan

absolutely yeah my name is dan and i use

the he him pronouns

so our first question is how did you

come to be a chaplain at tufts

great thank you um so

i started at tufts in 2016. so

this is my fifth year and i heard about

it actually

through um a colleague and friend

who actually used to have this position

as the protestant chaplain

she's a fellow episcopal priest and

she shared that there was an opening at

the time i was

in boston at um mass general at the

hospital there doing a chaplaincy

residency and i was looking for the next

thing

and that's how i heard about tufts

so why did you choose to pursue a career

like chaplaincy

it's not a very like obvious career of

choice for some people

yeah yeah so like maybe many people who

have discerned a call to ordained

ministry i

originally saw myself doing sort of a

traditional

parish ministry being in a congregation

and that would be that would be that and

i am in fact

serving a parish episcopal church uh

half time

but all the while i've i've been at

tufts i have found that

chaplaincy has been so life-giving um

for me

and and i trust for others um

a lot of it has to do with the fact that

um i'm able to

to explore and try things that i can't

necessarily do in the same way in a

traditional congregation

um it's it's the interfaith component

getting to know folks from a wide

variety

of backgrounds having great colleagues

representing different

religious and philosophical beliefs

and being on a really vibrant campus

where there's so much going on and i get

to meet

students faculty and staff from

literally all over the world

um so those are just some of the reasons

why i love chaplaincy

no that's amazing it's just like working

at like a university chapel state

there's just so many people and there's

so

much opportunity to learn even as like

an educated professional like

uh so i've loved especially you touched

on the interfaith work

like that's something that we pride

ourselves at the tough challenge

of those interfaith connections that

you're able to develop that's amazing um

so our next question is what is one

ritual

or practice or idea that's been on your

mind lately it could be related to the

pandemic or not pandemic specific

yeah yeah it's a great question and i

feel like

it's hard for for anything not to be

related to the pandemic nowadays

um for me i've been thinking about holy

week recently because it's coming up

soon

uh the last week in march and uh one of

the days in holy week that's observed in

my tradition is called

monday thursday some people call it holy

thursday

and traditionally christians gather on

this day

to remember the last supper when jesus

gathered with his disciples

and one of the things that jesus did

that night was wash the disciples feet

so many churches have the ritual of foot

washing that night where

believers will gather and wash each

other's feet which is a pretty

unusual thing to do i think in the 21st

century west

and right now i think it's maybe not not

wise to have that ceremony in many

places

so i've been thinking instead about what

would it be like

if instead of um doing a foot washing we

observed a hand washing

so prayerfully washing our own hands

uh and maybe even the hands of others

that were already in close contact with

loved ones roommates um and

it's something that we've been doing for

a year now non-stop

but to actually do it in a way that is

sacred in a way

that acknowledges um that washing

our hands is something we do as an act

of love to

care for ourselves as well as to show

love for our neighbor

so that's that's been on my mind lately

this is a very interesting way to frame

hand washing because you're right it's

kind of just been

like all consuming you see all the

posters on campus that remember to wash

your hands

but to spray that as something like this

is an act of love this is an act of care

for not only yourself but your community

and using that as kind of way to adapt

to the times

um it's very powerful things to think

about

i really love the framework he gave

so on top of that um what is something

you believe in

so again i'll go back to holy week and

the day after monday thursday is good

friday

and this is the day when christians

remember the crucifixion of jesus his

death

and his burial and

one of the things that i believe very

much is that

in the shame and in the agony that jesus

experienced and in in his very death

god also suffered um that god

experienced

the profound suffering alienation

and indeed death itself um but

that's not just an event that happened

2000 years ago but that god continues to

suffer

with all those who experience pain

isolation despair hopelessness

and especially those who find themselves

brutalized because they've been

marginalized so

because because of the color of their

skin because of what they believe

because of where they come from in the

world

whatever it might be in the way that

jesus was the victim

of of empire so those today too who are

the victims

of empire and oppressive political

systems are also

um one with christ in the crucifixion

and i trust also one in the redemption

that christ

brings and that new life that comes on

easter morning in the resurrection

wow i did not know that much

about good friday so i'm really glad

that you took the time to explain that

and the idea of that you're not alone in

your suffering that other people who

care whether it's your immediate

surroundings or this idea of dfinity

is something that i really appreciated

hearing

so moving on to what you do as as a

chaplain

how would you describe pastoral

characters i know it's a very big part

of what a chaplain is and what they do

yeah it's it's a it's like the

million-dollar question

you know okay how do you define this

term pastoral care

what comes to my mind is that it's the

ministry of being fully present

to someone who's seeking consolation

care

guidance emotional or spiritual support

so that can look like almost anything it

looks like accompanying a person without

judgment or agenda so

trying not not to convince them to

believe something or to do something

but just to be with them in their pain

in their questions in just that sense of

whatever existential experience they're

having

exploring their inner world finding

meaning and purpose

and also i think another important part

of pastoral care is

providing support so that one can feel

more deeply connected to themselves

to others and to the divine if that's

something that is part of their

uh their world view the the transcendent

um so all of those things uh are part of

my definition of pastoral care

can you spend a little bit on like

accompaniment because i know there's a

misconception when people go for

pastoral care that

the chapel will have the answers to

their existential crisis which

obviously no one has those answers but

you're there to

walk alongside them to kind of find

their own answers or

walk alongside them on their journey

absolutely yeah yeah um

it's more about living the questions

together than

necessarily finding all the answers

not to say that there are no answers to

find

and i have found that without really

saying much

myself just in the act of listening with

care

and concern many have found the answers

that they're looking for

in themselves um and in that experience

of connection of two people being

together and being fully present

um so yeah yeah it's uh

chaplaincy isn't about you know it's not

a vending machine where you push a

button and you

you get exactly what you want but

hopefully it's a way

of discovering more deeply what's

already there

inside the truth that we already are

holding inside ourselves

so when the student comes asking for

pastoral care what kind of things do

people usually talk about

yeah so like i said it could be just

about

anything not surprisingly often

people will come to talk about a

religious concern

so there have been times where students

have come to me

because they grew up in a particular

kind of christian household

and tradition um that they perhaps are

then

struggling with now as young adults to

understand

is this really what i believe in light

of my own identity

in light of who i know myself to be now

especially those who have come out as

lgbt

and who have found perhaps that their

home churches are not supportive of them

so that's something that folks have come

to me about

sometimes it's about other issues that

back home

while well while someone is away at

school life still goes on at home and

they might

want to talk about the death of a loved

one or something that's going on in

their family

or with their friend group and sometimes

it's about discerning

questions about the future making

decisions about an internship

or a job or what to do after graduation

so i think that's another really

important part of being a chaplain is

providing

um that that space where someone can

discern

where they can make meaningful decisions

about their lives

in a context that's caring and

supportive and non-judgmental

yeah the idea of non-general it's like

you are really you are truly free to

explore

whatever is going on in your mind like

the questions that you have

the decisions that you're making and you

have someone there to support you which

is just

why i find so beautiful about pastoral

care and

is there anything you wish students knew

more about pastoral care

yeah i wish um students would would know

that it really is for everyone

um that you don't need to belong to a

particular religious or philosophical

tradition

to uh seek the support of a chaplain um

to talk to

talk to us we're friendly people and we

want to

be connected with as many people on

campus as possible

um so um i i really

would hope that someone realizes that

pastoral care is

is more than just

receiving religious guidance it's about

talking about all

of life whatever that means for that

person finding meaning

discovering what the big picture is um

and thinking about okay what is it

that's weighing me down or what is it

that's

that's bringing me joy and can we dig

deeper into that

and can we find the the meaning and the

purpose

that is behind our everyday lives

i can attest to the fact that the tufts

university chaplaincy as a student is

the warmest place with the warmest

people

and just like i it's like a second home

to me i've absolutely loved it so anyone

looking to talk to chaplain you can

literally talk to anyone and have an

amazing conversation

um so in your five years as a tough

chaplain what has been your

most memorable moment

you know where risha i think this is the

question that i've struggled with most

when you sent me the questions because

it's really hard to pin down

just one moment but i think back fondly

to what has what was an annual tradition

and what i hope we can revive again

which um were the interfaith field trips

into boston

uh which were sponsored by protestant

chaplaincy and the muslim

chaplaincy and so we would go in we'd

take the t into boston and visit

uh saint paul's cathedral which is the

episcopal uh

church in downtown boston where a muslim

congregation has gathered for over a

decade

for friday prayers juma prayers

and we would go check that out and then

have lunch with the leaders from

from the episcopal community and the

muslim community and have a great time

learning about

what interfaith uh life and work looks

like

beyond the tufts campus like what does

it actually look like

you know on the streets of boston um and

i hope we can get back to that because i

just found it

really exciting and really interesting

like your students

insights yeah as like a student i did

caffeine

going into different faith spaces and

engaging with them

was truly like it opened my mind

just like the possibilities and the

different ideas of divinity and just

how we talk about them but also like the

similarities of the idea of like

strong faith in community um which i

only got to see because i engaged in

those interfaith

opportunities on campus i really do hope

we're able to

have those again especially in person

and what has been your favorite

chaplaincy or community event tufts

well i'm i'm going to be a copycat and

say cafe

uh as you mentioned um and yeah i i

the the field trips visiting different

faith communities all around the boston

area

um having a you know big group of

students go into

a great restaurant and having a meal

together

and just enjoying each other's company

it's really exciting especially to meet

incoming students who are experienced

college for the first

time and meeting these young adults who

are

so open to exploring different

traditions

and getting to know different

communities all the while

starting off in a new school and a new

stage in life

um so i've always been impressed by that

and it's just been such a

such a joyful time so i hope we can

we can get back to that soon yeah i

really do hope we're

we'll be returning to a little sense of

normalcy and have all these

beautiful moments into like being

together

um yeah really really hope that happens

soon

um so is there um where would you like

to see the tufts university chaplaincy

go in the future

you've been here for a little bit of

time you know develop some programming

but where do you

want to see like where else do you see

the progress

yeah that's the the dream question

for me you know where where do my dreams

lie and

recently i've been part of this uh

working group to talk about

how uh how to make better use of goddard

chapel

um which you see the inside of in in my

background and the outside of in yours

um and it's a beautiful historic space

uh right on the in the center of the

medford campus

uh and there's so much more that i think

we could do to make it

uh hospitable and accessible space for

everybody at tufts those who belong to

our established religious and

philosophical

student organizations and everyone else

regardless of

their affiliation um so that's a dream

of mine

um thinking about how we can more

creatively use our sacred spaces

there's also the interfaith center which

is another i think sort of underutilized

space where we could

um get creative and think of more ways

to

welcome the community in and um

and do things together especially

interfaith um

collaborations among the different

chaplains and the different student

groups

so that's a dream that i have uh for the

future

yeah i mean once um you know these

spaces are open to the public we can

start you know doing that programming

and just letting students

into the spaces there's just something

about being in the physical space of god

or chapel

like i've been there right around sunset

and it just

just kind of feels magical and the

interfaith center

i feel like it's just a strong sense of

community

um because i've done cafe because i'm

part of the muslim student association

and utilize those spaces in that way i

really do hope people get to enjoy these

spaces when they open

me too and our last question

is what is a fun fact about you the taos

community

wants chanel

well i don't know if they want to know

although some might already

um every year for for our halloween

concert i

i don a captain kirk uniform this

polyester gold

uniform from the the original star trek

series you know this

old science fiction show and um so the

fun fact is that i'm

what i like to say a recovering trekkie

so i used to be a huge

star trek fan as a kid i used to read

star trek books and watch all the movies

and the tv shows and

i even went to uh this kind of star trek

theme park in las vegas that used to be

open when i was a kid

and had a motion ride simulator all this

stuff

so i'm not quite as fanatical about it

now but it's still

um it's still something that i i enjoy

all right i look forward to seeing you

in your costume next halloween

that'll be fun will do yeah at the

halloween concert too

at goddard yes all right

thank you so much for joining us um

jaclyn then it's been an amazing

conversation and you gave just

thoughtful answers

um thank you to everyone who's watching

this is there any final words that you

have

just that i'm so grateful for our

conversation and i hope that um

we can find more opportunities to have

um

have times like this where we can we can

share about ourselves and

help the community get to get to know

who we are as the university chaplaincy

so thank you so much for resha

all right well thank you everyone for

joining us