Providing a bridge between research in healthcare and spirituality and practitioner perspectives, these essays on chaplaincy in healthcare continue dialogue around constructing, negotiating and researching spiritual care and discuss the critical issues in chaplaincy work, including assisted suicide and care in children’s hospices. Each section of the book is introduced by an academic theologian, giving the book a strong theoretical base, before serving healthcare chaplains offer their perspectives and experiences with material drawn from practice in a broad spectrum of healthcare contexts.
The integration of theory and practical application in these essays will be of interest to chaplains, healthcare practitioners, and students of theology and healthcare.
The integration of theory and practical application in these essays will be of interest to chaplains, healthcare practitioners, and students of theology and healthcare.
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Reviews
The development of meaning and practice in spiritual and pastoral care in hospital chaplaincy has applications both to the healthcare system and beyond. This book makes a great contribution to that development. Three eminent thinkers in this area provide the context and connections, and several practitioners provide the reflection on practice - bridging the gaps between theory, values and practice; theological reflection and reflective practice; and spirituality and the practice of healthcare. Don't just view this book as relevant to the profession of hospital chaplaincy (significant though its contribution to that is), view it as a major contribution to the profession of care in any context.
This is one of the most comprehensive and practical books on healthcare chaplaincy I've read. Like the act of chaplaincy itself, it takes the reader to a place of deep questioning and embodies the theology it espouses: relational, panentheistic, apophatic and humble. Its value reaches far beyond the healthcare context into what spirituality can offer the public square more generally. Highly recommended.
Though we live in a secular time, we are still confronted with questions about meaning and purpose, particularly when we become ill or are confronted with a terminal condition. Spiritual care tries to support patients, carers and staff to find an answer to such questions in a dialogical and compassionate way. This book presents excellent contributions to spiritual care from a multi-disciplinary perspective and will certainly help to develop spiritual care as a professional practice. This is very much needed in view of the economisation of health care and the marginalization of the care for the spiritual needs of patients and their carers.
For those involved in providing spiritual care within the NHS in the UK, this is an invaluable book - clear, well written and structured, and with impeccable bibliography and further resources to aid study.