Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner

Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner serves as Professor of Pastoral Care and Pastoral Theology at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology. An ordained Presbyterian minister (PCUSA), she integrates extensive clinical field experience from rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs, and child abuse councils into theological education.

Her educational credentials include:

• Dr. of Theology, University of Basel (1986)
• M.A., Princeton Theological Seminary (1975)
• A.B., Vanderbilt University (1970)

Research centers on multi-cultural pastoral care for women, identity formation in cross-cultural children, and societal violence impacts. She pioneers integration of clinical trauma training—gained through residencies at Georgia Baptist Hospital and community mental health clinics—into practical theology curricula, emphasizing family systems theory and adoption dynamics.

Publications (2005-2016) reveal evolving focus from foundational pastoral care to bicultural identity and unspoken ministry challenges. Recurring themes bridge musicology with religious inquiry, psychological dimensions of adoption, and multi-cultural dynamics in ecclesial spaces, consistently connecting academic theology with frontline crisis intervention.

Key recognitions include:

• AAPC Outstanding Writer Award (2010)
• Henry Luce III Fellowship (2000-2001)
• Fellow, American Association of Pastoral Counselors

As former Society for Pastoral Theology chair and International Academy of Practical Theology member, she shapes national discourse while mentoring future pastoral theologians. The Henry Luce III Fellowship enabled cross-cultural research on violence impacts, directly informing her crisis ministry pedagogy. Her work remains deeply collaborative with mental health professionals despite no formal laboratory structure, focusing on community-based trauma response systems.

Current initiatives address unspoken trauma in religious institutions through interdisciplinary partnerships with domestic violence coalitions and child advocacy centers, translating clinical insights into pastoral formation frameworks.