Category Archives: Chaplain

3 June 2025 Update – ProQuest just made my doctoral dissertation available! ProQuest # 31845163, full search: “Dickinson, Katy. Berkeley School of Theology ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2025. 31845163” – Available online (and soon in paper!) through the GTU Library.

Part of earning a Berkeley School of Theology (BST) doctorate is writing a dissertation or thesis. Mine is titled Transforming Literature of the Bible in Jail. It is 143 pages long, based on a 300 page project (a rewrite of the “Transforming Literature of the Bible,” TLB, class materials I have used as a jail Chaplain since 2018). TLB was originally developed in 1980-2008 by the Rev. Canon William Barnwell. Over twenty pages of my dissertation is the References & Bibliography section, that may be the most helpful part for future scholars.

Once a dissertation is written, it must be reviewed and defended, prepared and approved for publication, and submitted to ProQuest, the company that makes dissertations available to libraries worldwide. This complex writing, approval, and quality management process takes time. At the moment, my dissertation has been approved by BST and submitted to ProQuest. In a month or so, it will be available for public reading, both on the web and in a printed and bound book shelved in the Graduate Theological Union Library.

Here is my dissertation abstract,

Abstract

The Transforming Literature of the Bible scripture study and theological​ reflection program (TLB) provides faith-based study materials tailored to county jail​ inmate interests and challenges in a welcoming setting with the intention of reducing​ some of their disadvantages and supporting them in their goal to stay out of jail in the​ future. This project revised the 2018 TLB with a focus on supporting three groups of​ particularly disadvantaged inmates. The groups are those who are primarily-Spanish​ language speakers (mostly Latinx inmates who make up the majority in Santa Clara​ County, California), those who have reading difficulties, and those with mental health​ challenges. The high-level results of this project are, the TLB page count was cut in half,​ an image was added to each session (or chapter) with a process for theological reflection​ using that image as a focus, and a Spanish language translation of the TLB was​ developed and presented weekly. Mental health topics are presented in several TLB​ sessions in a way intended to encourage discussion​ without embarrassment. In response​ to a series of surveys of inmates and seminar observers in 2023–2024, 99% rated TLB as​ Excellent and overall satisfaction and 98% of inmates said that they would recommend​ the class. 92% of inmates said that it was important that TLB be presented in both​ English and Spanish and 98% said that the machine translations of TLB were of high​ quality and readability. This dissertation​ presents information on the TLB project and its​ methodology, background on incarceration, and an analysis of the theological and​ biblical context for the TLB and this project, with detailed research results.

BST and ProQuest send me emails giving publication status updates (basically saying, “please be patient – there is a process”).

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