Jaime Clark-Soles, MDiv, PhD
Rev. Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles is Professor of New Testament and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She was a 2017 participant in the Johns Hopkins Religious Professionals Study and has earned the Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapies and Research through CIIS. She is an Affiliated Researcher with the PULSE (Psychedelic Use, the Law, and Spiritual Experience) Project through the Harvard Law School Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics and is a member of the Psychedelic Educators Network, the Transforming Chaplaincy Psychedelic Chaplaincy Network, and the Pastoral Advisory Group of the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Her particular areas of scholarly expertise and publication include:
- Christianity and Psychedelics
- The Johannine Literature (the Gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Revelation)
- Evil, Suffering, Death, and Afterlife
- Disability Studies and the Bible
- Women in the Bible
She is the author of numerous books and essays. Her books include 1 Corinthians: Searching the Depths of God; Women in the Bible; Reading John for Dear Life: A Spiritual Walk with the Fourth Gospel; Engaging the Word: The New Testament and the Christian Believer; Death and the Afterlife in the New Testament; and Scripture Cannot Be Broken: The Social Function of the Use of Scripture in the Fourth Gospel. She is currently writing Psychedelics and Soul Care: What Christians Need Know (Eerdmans, forthcoming) as well as The Agony, the Ecstasy, and the Ordinary: Experiencing God in the New Testament. Her essay “Psychedelics, the Bible, and the Divine” (May 2024) can be found here. See also her response in “Psychedelic Christianity: Commentary and Reply” in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies.
Dr. Clark-Soles has served on the Journal of Biblical Literature editorial board and currently serves on the Journal of Disability and Religion editorial board. Her essay “Disability and the Johannine Literature” appears in Disability and the Bible: A Commentary.
Dr. Clark-Soles is the recipient of a Ford Senior Research Fellowship and has served on the steering committee of the “Ethics and Biblical Interpretation” section and the “Johannine Literature” section of the Society of Biblical Literature. She enjoys speaking widely and writing for both academic and popular audiences. As an ordained American Baptist minister, she has served in both congregational and hospice settings.
Education
- 2000: PhD, Yale University
- 1993: MDiv, Yale Divinity School
- 1989: BA, Stetson University
Presentations on Psychedelics & Spirituality (2022-2025)
- 2025: “Psychedelics and Soul Care: The Chaplaincy Angle." Houston Methodist Hospital Chaplaincy Department. September 23.
- 2025: “Revelation and Return: Religious Professionals Share Their Stories From the Hopkins Trial.” Shefa. September 16.
- 2025: “Caught Up to the Third Heaven: Psychedelics and Spiritual Experience.” The Enchanted State Conference. Santa Fe, NM. Sept. 7.
- 2025: “Psychedelics and Soul Care: What Christians Need to Know.” Wild Goose Festival. Harmony, NC. August 30.
- 2025: “Claiming a Ministry: Resourcing Christians for Psychedelic Spiritual and Pastoral Care.” Wild Goose Festival. Harmony, NC. August 29.
- 2025: “MOSAIC: New Research on Muslim, Christian and Jewish Psychedelic Use.” Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Conference. Denver, CO. June 18.
- 2025: “Spiritual Health in Psychedelics.” California Institute for Integral Studies Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies and Research. April 26.
- 2025: “Psychedelics and Soul Care. Bridging Science and Spirituality.” Science on Spiritual Health Symposium. Emory University. April 3.
- 2025: "Searching the Depths of God: Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness in Christian Scripture." Symposium on Psychedelics in Monotheistic Traditions: Sacramental Practice and Legal Recognition. Harvard Law School. Cambridge, MA. March 5.
- 2025: "Psychedelics and Christianity." Religion and the Mind Lecture Series. Butler University. Indianapolis, IN. Feb. 25.
- 2025: "Defining and Defending Sacred Communities: Law and the Future of Psychedelic Churches." Psychedelic Intersections: Betwixt & Between Chaplaincy, Plant Medicine, & Aesthetics. Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University. Cambridge, MA. Feb. 15.
- 2025: "Psychedelics, Christianity, and the Law": PULSE Conference on Sacred Rights: Psychedelics, Law, and Spirituality. Harvard Law School. Cambridge, MA. Feb. 14.
- 2024: "Psychedelics and Soul Care." Perkins Faculty Luncheon. Dallas, TX. Dec. 2.
- 2024: "Introducing PULSE: Psychedelic Use, Law, and Spiritual Experience." Harvard Law School Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics; Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation.
- 2024: "Psychedelics and Spirituality: What the Church Needs to Know." Royal Lane Baptist Church. Dallas.
- 2024: "Kaleidoscope of Healing: The Expanding Potential of Psychedelics." Greater Love Collective. Dallas.
- 2024: "Psychedelics, the Brain, and Soul Care: At the Intersection of Health Care and Religious Faith." The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology." Dallas.
- 2024: "Dying to Know: Ram Dass and Timothy Leary." Santa Fe.
- 2024: "Psychedelics and Faith" webinar. Baptist News Global. June 4.
- 2024: "Psychedelics, the Bible, and the Divine." Toronto School of Theology.
- 2024: “Psychedelics and Theological Education.” Perkins School of Theology. Dallas
2023: "Psychedelics and Soul Care." Cleveland Psychedelic Science Group. December 14.
- 2023: “Christianity and Psychedelics: Responding to Theological and Institutional Promises and Challenges.” American Academy of Religion. San Antonio.
- 2023: “Sacramental Plants and Fungi: Historical and Scientific Insights for the Religious Life.” Parliament of the World’s Religions. Chicago.
- 2023: “Psychedelic Perspectives of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.” Psychedelic Science conference. Denver.
- 2022: “Alternate States of Consciousness in Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.” org Forum.
- 2022: “Christians and the Psychedelic Renaissance.” Chacruna Religion and Psychedelics Forum.
Presentations on Psychedelics in Other Media
- 2025: “The Women They Tried to Erase: The Bible, Power & Psychedelics.” The Sacred Speaks podcast. April 27. Link to episode 121 here.
- 2025: “Reimagining Faith: Exploring Psychedelics & the Sacred Mind.” Creating Space podcast. March 12. Link to podcast episode.
- 2024: "Psychedelics and Christianity." The Well QA podcast. Dec. 6.
- 2024: "Psychedelics and Spirituality." Theology on the Rocks podcast. Oct. 16.
- 2024: "Psychedelics and Faith" webinar. Baptist News Global. June 4.
- 2024: “Psychedelics and the Church.” Good Faith Media podcast. April 19.
- 2023: “Psychedelic Chaplaincy.” NPR Weekend Edition. September 24.
- 2022: “Alternate States of Consciousness in Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.” Ligare.org Forum. August 31.