Dear Chaplaincy Pro Members,
When I began my first unit of CPE in the spring of 2009, I was introduced to the life and legacy of Anton Boisen—the pioneering founder of CPE. My CPE Supervisor Steve Gomes spoke not only of Boisen’s academic contributions but of his personal journey through mental illness, suffering, and redemption. I was deeply moved. Here was a man who, out of the depths of personal crisis and confinement in a mental health institution, gave birth to something transformative: a method of theological education grounded in lived experience, emotional truth, and sacred care for others.
Boisen’s seminal work, Exploration of the Inner World, remains a foundational text for all who walk the path of Spiritual Care and CPE Training. In this courageous book, Boisen weaves together case studies, personal reflections, and theological insight, inviting us into a brave synthesis of behavioral science and theological inquiry. His work challenges us to view mental illness not as failure or shame, but as a potential breakthrough—a “living human document” revealing the mystery of the soul and the sacredness of healing.
Exploration of the Inner World by Anton T. Boisen
This text has shaped the lives of countless Chaplains, CPE Supervisors , and spiritual caregivers across generations. For me, it was this book—and the spirit behind it—that stirred something within: a calling not only to become a Chaplain, and eventually a CPE Supervisor, so that I too could nurture others in their own journeys of growth, healing, and inner exploration.
Boisen taught us that we are all wounded healers—called not to fix, but to accompany; not to diagnose, but to listen; not to preach, but to witness. His legacy lives on in the lives of every chaplain who dares to bring their full humanity into the room, and meet another soul with compassion.
It is with great joy that we now offer access to the book Exploration of the Inner World for free. We encourage you to read it, reflect on it, and allow it to shape your own sacred work as it has shaped many.
May this work awaken within you the same sense of purpose, healing, and inner transformation it did for me.
With gratitude,
Chaplaincy Pro
