Clark-Soles Publishes Book on Psychedelics and Soul Care
New Testament scholar Jaime Clark-Soles examines psychedelic experiences through a Christian lens in a book set for January 2027 publication.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Religion — General
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New Testament scholar Jaime Clark-Soles has written Psychedelics and Soul Care: What Christians Need to Know, published by Eerdmans. The book examines biblical accounts of intense religious experiences alongside the spiritual dimensions of psychedelic experiences.
Why it matters
The book addresses how Christians might engage with psychedelics as interest in the substances grows within academic and clinical settings. It draws on Clark-Soles's prior involvement in psychedelics research.
The book includes four appendices of resources for therapists, chaplains, and researchers. Clark-Soles's 2017 Johns Hopkins participation involved two high-dose psilocybin sessions.
The players
Jaime Clark-Soles
A New Testament scholar and ordained Baptist minister who serves as a professor at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology and as a field scholar with Emory University's Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality.
Eerdmans
A Grand Rapids, Michigan-based publisher known for religious and theological scholarship.
The details
The book explores biblical accounts of intense religious experiences, including Paul's visions and revelations. It also considers the spiritual dimensions of Clark-Soles's own and other people's psychedelic experiences.
Timeline
2017: Clark-Soles participates in a Johns Hopkins University study on faith and psychedelics.
January 2027: Psychedelics and Soul Care is scheduled for publication by Eerdmans.
Saturday, 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Clark-Soles joins a panel discussion on psychedelics and soul care at AAR/SBL 2026, held at Embassy Suites Downtown, Silverton Salon 3.
Health Landscape
The book extends the work of Emory University's Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality into Christian theology. It reflects a broader academic effort to examine psychedelic experiences through religious and spiritual frameworks.
Readers interested in faith and psychedelics can look for the book when it releases in January 2027. The book's appendices list resources for therapists, chaplains, and researchers who work in this area.
The takeaway
Christians exploring psychedelics may find frameworks drawn from biblical scholarship useful for understanding such experiences. Clark-Soles's book offers a theological starting point for those weighing these questions.
What happens next
Clark-Soles is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion at AAR/SBL 2026 and the book is set for publication in January 2027.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by PublishersWeekly.
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