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Environmental ministry/chaplaincy, sometimes called eco-chaplaincy, is an emerging practice discipline that has not been systematically explored. This paper describes a beginning exploratory process using two data streams: information gleaned from the Web, and an online survey and interview of eco-chaplains. For the survey, eco-chaplaincy was broadly defined as “those working at the spiritual interface of humans and Nature/the environment.” Results reveal a still-emerging discipline with the potential to develop into an ecospiritual subspecialty. Both the online group and the survey cohort come to the practice of eco-chaplaincy from varied spiritual and experiential backgrounds. They are drawn to the work through recognition of a broad societal spiritual crisis and the urgency of the resulting environmental, social justice, economic, and political crises. Descriptions, practices and activities, and organization of eco-chaplaincy are evolving. The basic questions “What do eco-chaplains do?” and “How does one prepare to be an eco-chaplain?” are addressed.
This research explores the evolving role of chaplains in healthcare, from traditional Christian roots to inclusive spiritual care encompassing diverse traditions. Despite their integral role in addressing spiritual, emotional, and existential needs, chaplains face challenges navigating institutional pressures for profitability. Through qualitative case studies at a major trauma hospital, this study examines instances where chaplains inadvertently collude with institutional power, termed “capitalizing hope,” particularly prevalent in complex cases involving non-English speaking patients. Questions about billability, insurance coverage, and patient access emerge. This study aims to deepen understanding of chaplaincy practices, ethical implications of billable spiritual care interventions, and equip chaplains to advocate for patient-centered holistic care amidst evolving healthcare landscapes. Ultimately, I aim to contribute to discussions on chaplaincy training, in hopes of fostering healing, justice, and dignity in interdiscipinary healthcare settings.
The emergent field of Buddhist Chaplaincy remains in need of locating those narratives that can be theoretically framed and pedagogically utilized to further articulate uniquely Buddhist theory and praxis of spiritual care. This paper identifies which stories are most used today by individual faculty and chaplains, and unpacks stories of the Buddha’s compassionate and skillful responses to the sickness and grief that beset laypeople in his time, and what they have to offer us as Buddhist caregivers, chaplains, and ministers today.
The psychedelic dissociative ketamine has been recognized as an effective antidepressant for nearly twenty years. However, its effects typically do not last longer than a week without repeated administration. Research suggesting therapeutic interventions may extend patient relief and frequent patient reports of profound spiritual experiences arising during treatment motivated the development of a novel Ketamine Integration Chaplaincy (KIC) program at a Boston teaching hospital in concert with a local divinity school. The KIC program combines one-on-one spiritual care and group sessions for patients with treatment resistant depression aimed at addressing patients’ spiritual care needs and prolong symptom alleviation. In this paper, we present our training and treatment model, including student selection criteria and competencies, interdisciplinary approach, supervision and didactic models, and structure of patient care. The paper reviews preliminary outcomes from the KIC program’s first two years, pathways for program expansion, and emerging spiritual care opportunities within psychedelic assisted therapy.