Herbert Anderson’s Home Page

About me…

I am retired from my position as Research Professor in Practical Theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and member of the Graduate Faculty, Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.  I can now best be reached via the following email address:  herbert.e.anderson@icloud.com

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Some of my areas of focus in research and teaching:

  • Practical theology for ministry

  • Formation for ministry

  • Dying and grieving

  • Pastoral care and empathy

  • Marriage and family, sustaining diversity of forms and flexibility of functions

  • Practical theology as an organizing framework to overcome fragmentation in the practices of ministry

News and Announcements:

October 13, 2022: At the 2022 LSTC Alumni Homecoming, Herbert received a “Lifetime Service Award”.  For the occasion, I was interviewed about my work and vision.  

November 30, 2017: The "Sermons and Lectures" now includes links to a few lectures, and the last couple minutes of my last class at PLTS:

  • Four Lectures at the Ernest Becker Foundation's "Finitude and the Faithful Care of the Dying" workshop: available on YouTube here

  • "How to Live Well While Dying"; lecture at the Seattle Science Foundation in 2017.  Link to the video here

  • Audio of the final class meeting (at PLTS) of the course on "Introduction to Pastoral Care" that I taught most of my career. 

EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

With all due modesty, I'm delighted to announce that the book I wrote with Karen Speerstra – The Divine Art of Dying: How to Live Well While Dying – has just won an award for independent publishers_:_

2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Winner

(in the category Body, Mind & Spirit of Adult Nonfiction)

If you have any questions about how to get ahold of any of the materials mentioned here, feel free to contact me by email!