Wallace Bruce Clift, Jr. (March 27, 1926 – February 5, 2018) was an American priest and academic. He was the author of several books and articles in the field of the
psychology of religion
Psychology of religion consists of the application of List of psychological research methods, psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to the diverse contents of Religion, religious traditions as well as to both religious and Irreligion, ...
and a professor emeritus at the
University of Denver
The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...
, where he chaired the Department of Religion for many years.
He lectured and gave workshops extensively in the United States, Australia, Europe, and Asia on such topics as
Jungian psychology,
Christian theology
Christian theology is the theology of Christianity, Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theology, theologian ...
,
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
, spiritual growth,
dream interpretation, journaling, and the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Clift published six books, three of which were co-authored with his wife, the Reverend
Jean Dalby Clift
Jean Dalby Clift was an American priest of the Episcopal Church and a pastoral counselor in private practice. She was the author of books in the fields of psychology and spirituality. "Dr. Clift has had many roles in her life, including lawyer, ...
.
Early career and education
Clift earned a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
with honors in economics and government from the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
in 1949.
He then went on to earn a law degree at
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
in 1952, and practiced law at
Baker, Botts, Andrews and Parish
Baker Botts L.L.P. is an American law firm of around 725 lawyers. Headquartered in One Shell Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas, the firm has energy and technology related clients. It is referred to as the second-oldest law firm west of the Mi ...
in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, before attending
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
.
He married another attorney at the firm, Jean Dalby, in 1954.
In 1960, he earned an
M.Div.
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and di ...
from the
Church Divinity School of the Pacific
Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) is an Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, California. It one of nine seminaries U.S. Episcopal Church and a member of the Graduate Theological Union. The only Episcopal seminary located in the Far West, ...
.
Ordained deacon in 1960 and priest in 1961, Clift served as vicar of Grace Church and the Church of the Resurrection in Houston until 1964.
While in Houston, Clift attended the
major address by then-presidential candidate Senator
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association on September 12, 1960, regarding Kennedy's ability to make decisions independent of the Roman Catholic Church (he is viewable at the 1:38 mark in the recorded video of the address).
In 1964, Clift received a Farish Foundation grant to study the psychology of
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...
.
He studied from 1964 to 1966 at the
C. G. Jung Institute in Zürich
C. or c. may refer to:
* Century, sometimes abbreviated as ''c.'' or ''C.'', a period of 100 years
* Cent (currency), abbreviated ''c.'' or ''¢'', a monetary unit that equals of the basic unit of many currencies
* Caius or Gaius, abbreviated as ...
, Switzerland, where he worked with analyst
Jolande Jacobi
Jolande Jacobi (25 March 1890 – 1 April 1973) was a Swiss psychologist, best remembered for her work with Carl Jung, and for her writings on Jungian psychology.
Life and career
Born in Budapest, Hungary (then under Austria-Hungary) as Jolan ...
. He earned his Ph.D. from the
University of Chicago Divinity School
The University of Chicago Divinity School is a private graduate institution at the University of Chicago dedicated to the training of academics and clergy across religious boundaries. Formed under Baptist auspices, the school today lacks any s ...
with his dissertation "Psychological and Biblical-Theological Perspectives on Hope from the Viewpoints of C. G. Jung and John Knox".
Academic career
Clift taught psychology of religion at the
University of Denver
The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...
from 1969 to 1992, and in 1981 helped start its joint Ph.D. program in religious and theological studies with the
Iliff School of Theology.
Clift co-founded the C. G. Jung Society of Colorado in 1976, and served as its first president. After his retirement from the University of Denver in 1992, Clift was appointed Canon Theologian of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and invited to head the Anglican Studies program at St. Thomas Theological Seminary.
[ ] When St. Thomas closed in 1995, Clift and the Episcopal diocesan bishop negotiated the Anglican Studies program's move to the Methodist Iliff School of Theology, where Clift continued to head the program for another seven years.
Professional recognition
In 2000, Bette Lanning endowed the Wallace B. and Jean Dalby Clift Scholarship Fund at Iliff to provide funds for students enrolled in its Anglican Studies Program.
Church Divinity School of the Pacific
Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) is an Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, California. It one of nine seminaries U.S. Episcopal Church and a member of the Graduate Theological Union. The only Episcopal seminary located in the Far West, ...
awarded Clift an honorary doctorate in 2003.
Clift served as President of the Standing Committee of the
Episcopal Diocese of Colorado from 1989 to 1990
and was Canon Theologian Emeritus of the diocese.
Publications
Books
* Australia: .
* Australia: .
*
* Australia: .
* Republished 2004 by Wipf & Stock, . Australia: .
*
Articles
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Encyclopedia entries
* Clift, Wallace (1987). "Child"; "Rejuvenation"; "Vierkandt, Alfred"; and "Wundt, Wilhelm" in ''Encyclopedia of Religion''. (Eliade, Mircea, ed.) New York: Macmillan.
* Clift, Jean Dalby; Clift, Wallace (2012). "Symbols of Transformation in Dreams" in ''Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion''. 2nd ed. (Leeming, D., ed.) Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clift, Wallace
Psychologists of religion
Jungian psychologists
American psychology writers
American male non-fiction writers
American Episcopal priests
University of Chicago Divinity School alumni
University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni
University of Denver faculty
American religion academics
American religious writers
1926 births
Harvard Law School alumni
2018 deaths
People associated with Baker Botts