Research Profile: Andy Calder
Andy is the Disability Inclusion Advocate within the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, and has previously held roles as chaplain at Prahran Mission, and senior chaplain at Epworth HealthCare, Richmond.
Prior to ordination in 1995 as a Uniting Church Deacon, Andy worked in a range of community and government contexts in program delivery, policy development and advocacy with people with disabilities.
As the Director of ‘Uniting CPE – the John Paver Centre’, Andy is a Clinical Pastoral Educator accredited by the Association of Supervised and Pastoral Education in Victoria (ASACPEV Inc.) This Centre places Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) students, including any enrolled through the University of Divinity, in a range of community and clinical settings.
In collaboration with Stirling College and Pilgrim College, Andy also teaches a subject called ‘Pastoral Care/People with Disabilities’.
He has had previous teaching experience in the TAFE sector and in a range of workshop/conference settings.
His recently completed PhD is titled: ‘Adults with intellectual disability and their spirituality: voices to be heard by faith communities and the disability services sector in Victoria, Australia’. 14 people from VALiD (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability Inc.) were interviewed. VALiD has adopted a policy position about spirituality’s importance which aims for similar recognition within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Qualifications
Ph.D. University of Divinity (conferred March 2020).
MA (Research) Melbourne College of Divinity 2006
B.Theology Melbourne College of Divinity 1995
Grad Dip Recreation Planning Phillip Institute of Technology 1982
B.B.Sc. LaTrobe University 1975
Publications
“Out of the Whirlwind. Clinical Pastoral Education and Climate Change,” with Jan Morgan, Journal of Pastoral Care and Counselling (Winter/Spring) 2016.
Chapter in book: ‘Knowing, Being Known, and the Mystery of God. A Festschrift in Honor of Prof Hans Reinders: Teacher, Friend and Disciple,’ VU University Press 2016.
“To Belong I need to be Missed,” Journal of Disability, Religion and Health (16) 2012.
“Chaplaincy now has many Faiths,” Australian Journal of Pastoral Care and Health (5) 2011.
“Broken bodies, healing spirits: Road trauma survivor’s perceptions of pastoral care during inpatient orthopaedic rehabilitation,” with L. Harms and A. Badcoe Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation 2010.
Chapter in book: ‘Memorialising Rituals for Road Accident Victims. Tracing the origins of the Time of Remembrance: Roadside Memorials: A multi-disciplinary approach,’ Emu Press 2007.
“God has chosen this for you” “Really?” “A pastoral and theological appraisal of well-known clichés used in Australia to support people with disabilities,”
Journal of Disability, Religion and Health (8) 2004.
Co-edited book with Dr Christopher Newell AM ‘Voices of Disability and Spirituality from the Land Down Under,’ Haworth Press, 2004.
