About
Danjuma Gibson is a professor of pastoral theology, care and counseling, at Calvin Theological Seminary. He is also in private practice as a psychotherapist in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Prior to joining Calvin Seminary, he was the senior pastor of a church in Chicago for over sixteen years and was also bivocational as a commercial banker during that time. His most recent book—Frederick Douglass, A Psychobiography: Rethinking Subjectivity in the Western Experiment of Democracy (2018)—is an investigation into the formation of Douglass’ psychological and religious identity in the context of trauma and the American slavocracy. In addition to emotional and psychological trauma, Dr. Gibson’s current research includes exploring the intersection of black religious experience and psychoanalytic discourse in a way that is accretive to how we understand personhood, identity formation, and human flourishing. Dr. Gibson earned his Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College, Master of Business Administration from DePaul University, Master of Arts in Urban Ministry and Master of Christian Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Doctor of Philosophy from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. He received his clinical training from the Center for Religion and Psychotherapy of Chicago where he earned an Advance Certificate in Psychotherapy and Religion. Dr. Gibson holds memberships in the American Academy of Religion, The Society of Pastoral Theology, and the Society for the Study of Black Religion.
Courses Taught
Cornerstone: Context
Foundations for Pastoral Care
Pastoral Disciplines for Counseling Ministry
Areas of Expertise
Psychotherapy
Psychobiography
Resilience in the Life of Frederick Douglass: An Interview With Danjuma Gibson
Blog and Forum Contributions
Bringing the Trouble to Church: The Call to Christ-Centered Mental Health Support
Turn on the news, open social media, or talk to a friend long enough, and mental health is likely to come up. In 2024, we…
Explore PostResponding to a Critical Need: Calvin Seminary Launches MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Master’s degree will help meet national and global needs Across the United States, there is a need for licensed mental health counselors at the national,…
Explore PostChristian Triumphalism: The Antithesis to Trauma Recovery
Occasionally, I will suggest to my students that Scripture puts forth two provocative questions that each of us are forced to struggle with at various…
Explore PostTrauma: Suffering in Silence
A Reflection on Trauma and the Church Community There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate…
Explore PostFeatured Publications
Frederick Douglass, A Psychobiography: Rethinking Subjectivity in the Western Experiment of Democracy (2018)