Christina R. Zaker
Director of Field Education
Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry
Director of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies Program
Director of the Master of Arts in Ministry Program
Education
MPS, Loyola University Chicago
Ecumenical DMin, Catholic Theological Union
About
Chrissy has served at CTU since 2014. She is a practical theologian with a focus on cultivating reflective practitioners in a variety of settings. Her past work in campus ministry, as the Executive Director of Amate House for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and in parish ministry lend to her ability to journey with students in their field education experiences. Her recent book, Surprised by God: Teaching Reflection through the Parables, develops parable as a lens for theological reflection with a focus on reflective practice that intersects with justice.
Chrissy also teaches in the Spirituality and Pastoral Ministry Department. Family Spirituality is the cornerstone of her research in spirituality, primarily exploring how the spirituality of a family unit adjusts through life. In addition to her book, she has written numerous articles and book chapters and is a frequent speaker and retreat director.
Christina is a member of the Association for Theological Field Educators and the National Association of Lay Ministers. She is married to Christopher Zaker and they have four children.
Contact
czaker@ctu.edu
Zaker, Christina R. Surprised by God: Teaching Reflection through the Parables. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. 2020.
“Connecting Communities and Colleagues” in Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, 42, no. 1 (2022): 42 – 44. https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/1031/889
“The Role of Family in Building Intercultural Competencies,” in Intercultural Life: Renewal and Transformation, ed. Lazar Thanuzraj and Christian Tauchner, SVD. Rome. May 2021.
“A Supervision of Pliable Presence During a Pandemic” in Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, 41, no. 1 (2021): 170 – 183. with Melvin Baber, Eric Kyle, Joanne Lindstrom and Susan MacAlpine-Gilles. https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/947/853
“All Life is Sacred. Black Lives More than Matter” in US Catholic Magazine Online, February 4, 2021. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202102/all-life-is-sacred-black-lives-more-than-matter/
US Catholic Magazine Expert Witness Interview. The article Family Spirituality Benefits Everyone Says this Theologian: A US Catholic Interview. In print January 2022, Vol 87, No.1, pgs 10 – 14. Also online at: https://uscatholic.org/articles/202112/family-spirituality-benefits-everyone-says-this-theologian/.
“Catholic Theological Education at the Margins” in Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, v 40, p. 130-142, Spring 2020 https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/739/695
“Excellence in Supervision: Training Site Supervisor Mentors” with Tanya Lynn Bennet, Thomas Elliot and Tamara Wilden in Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, v 40, p. 174-183, Spring 2020 https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/749/701
“Anatomy of a Site Visit” in Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, v 39, p. 158-166, Spring 2019 https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/603/579
“Empowering Families to be Spirit-Filled Evangelizers” in Chicago Studies vol 55:1, p. 44-55, Spring 2016.
“Parable as a Lens for Theological Reflection” in Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, v. 35, p. 55-67, Spring 2015 <http://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/view/385/376>
“Our Community Carries its Crosses on Good Friday” in National Catholic Reporter, March 25, 2016 available at: https://www.ncronline.org/news/spirituality/our-community-carries-its-crosses-good-friday
“Catechesis and Faith Formation: The Family Synod as Teachable Moment” in New Theology Review, v. 28, n. 1, p. 81-84, Sept. 2015. <http://newtheologyreview.org/index.php/ntr/article/view/1166>
“No Grace at Grace Church” in Barbara J. Blodgett and Matthew Floding, eds. Brimming with God: Reflecting Theologically on Cases in Ministry (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2015).
