The Archdiocese of San Francisco is offering an online course on the Catholic perspective on psychedelics, in response to their growing popularity in recreation, therapy, and spirituality.
The course runs Oct. 28–Dec. 2 and explores the cultural and theological dimensions of psychedelic use.
The first half of the course covers the history, cultural impact, and indigenous spiritual use of psychedelics; the second half presents a Catholic response.
The initiative comes amid rising discussion of psychedelics as therapy, including a case in Pennsylvania where a diocese funded a clergy sex abuse survivor’s psilocybin treatment.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco is offering an online course delving into a Catholic perspective on psychedelics, the use of which has reportedly experienced a resurgence in recent years.
According to the archdiocesan website, a “psychedelic renaissance” is occurring as people turn to psychedelics for recreation, medical treatments, and other reasons. Much is still unknown about psychedelic use, but those who question the practice and urge others to proceed with caution “are consistently marginalized in the rush toward a psychedelic utopia,” the website states.
Titled “Beyond Psychedelics: A Catholic Perspective,” the course aims to use “the tools of our Catholic faith to gain a balanced perspective in the face of spiritual confusion, public relations salvos, and a growing enthusiasm that could ultimately cohere into a new American religion,” according to the website.
Steve Kramp, a professor who has worked at several universities, will teach the class, which runs from Oct. 28 to Dec. 2. He most recently taught at John Paul the Great Catholic University, where he served as chair of the humanities department.
The first half of the course includes an overview of psychedelics and their popularity, an investigation into the challenges they pose to Western culture, and a look into some indigenous cultures that use psychedelics for spiritual purposes. The second half provides a Catholic response to psychedelics, a refutation of the claim that the Bible does not prohibit psychedelic use and therefore condones it, and a reflection on “the risks of scientific spirituality” and the potential of using psychedelics as therapy.
As Zeale previously reported, a Pennsylvania man who was abused by a priest several decades ago convinced his diocese to pay $6,000 for him to undergo psilocybin therapy. The diocese said it was a one-time exception for him; he says it was a healing experience and would encourage other abuse survivors to consider taking psychedelics as well.