Spiritual Care – opportunities and challenges for pastoral care Christian healthcare chaplaincy and its impact on delivering spiritual care in the health sector

Abstract

Developments over the last decade point towards transformations in the health care sector that positively and increasingly integrate elements of spirituality in various forms. This emerging trend of Spiritual Care has gained significance for various health professions as well as denominational healthcare chaplaincy. This article explores the aims, opportunities and challenges of Spiritual Care for healthcare chaplaincy on the one hand, and how healthcare chaplaincy can in turn support the beneficial delivery of Spiritual Care in the health sector. For Christian pastoral care to remain relevant and contribute to this process, it should promote an inter-professional and cross-religious approach for the integration of spiritual dimensions in healthcare. First, however, it must (re)affirm its role separate from missionary perspectives and communicate its intentions in a way that connects with the general public, and in particular, in clinical settings.