In March 2016 the Dutch Case Studies Project began in which about fifty chaplains participated as co-researchers in collecting practice-based evidence on what chaplains aim for, how they pursue it, and with what results. The chaplain-researchers produced case studies which were discussed collaboratively in research communities which were chaired by academic researchers. The engagement of chaplains in research can be understood from the development in the profession of integrating research into chaplaincy. While it is presumed that research benefits chaplains’ practices, so far the impact of research on chaplains’ practice had not been studied. Based on mixed-methods (observation, interviews, survey, focus groups), this dissertation describes, analyzes and reflects on the perceived change of chaplains’ professionalism as a result of their participation in the Case Studies Project. This practical theological research provides insight in the value of the double role of chaplain-researcher for chaplains’ professionalism.

The recent production of case studies in chaplaincy care combines the narrative nature of chaplaincy with the rigors of research demanded in contemporary care settings. The contributions in this volume from both practitioners and academic researchers join reflections on the challenges and promises of case study research in chaplaincy care with the results of specific case studies. Based on reflections on methodology and professionalization in chaplaincy, the volume hopes to contribute to answering the question of how and why chaplaincy works. As such, the book aims for a wide readership of scholars, chaplains and policy makers. Learning from Case Studies originated from the first international conference on case study research in chaplaincy care that was held in Amsterdam in 2019. “This book is a valuable Western European contribution to the international emerging fi eld of chaplaincy research.” Prof. dr. Anne Vandenhoeck, Director of the European Research, Institute for Chaplains in Health Care, KU Leuven, Belgium “This significant book represents a step-change in research into effective chaplaincy practice. Building on previous work, led by Fitchett and Nolan, chaplains and academics offer new case studies, but also develop this critically reflective approach together. Chapters on methodology show how case studies, especially when analysed comparatively, provide important evidence for how and why chaplaincy works.” Rev. Dr. Andrew Todd, Director of the Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology, Anglia Ruskin University, England “At the heart of chaplaincy are stories, and this collection combines reverence for the stories themselves alongside a critical exploration of how these cases engage with the important issues of our times: what it means to be a profession and to have a professional identity and the need for research that recognises the integral relationship between practice and evidence. This book provides a significant contribution to the current conversations in the spiritual care field.” Cheryl Holmes, OAM, CEO Spiritual Health Association, Australia

Does the scientific process belong in pastoral counseling? Professional Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education Should Become More Scientific: Yes and No examines the widespread ambivalence among pastoral caregivers and educators over the growing inclusion of science in pastoral care and counseling methodologies. Twenty-three seasoned professionals in the field give candid and sometimes emotional accounts of their interest in—and reservations about—the role scientific research plays in their profession. Some authors look at the issue from a historical perspective; others voice additional concerns. A few make concrete proposals on how chaplaincy can become more scientific. The result is a unique insight into the relationship between the secular and the religious. The question of whether science belongs in pastoral care and counseling is moot; pastoral care already makes extensive use of psychological testing and psychotherapeutic skills—all products of scientific thinking. But as technology becomes more dominant and health care delivery reflects a more corporate perspective, pastoral caregivers and educators are divided on whether the changes represent the significant opportunity to improve a ministry or the surrender of the ministry’s very essence. The essays collected in Professional Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education Should Become More Scientific: Yes and No go a step farther, breaking down the issue of faith versus science into more specific questions for pastoral caregivers, such as: Can what you do be measured? Do you have an obligation to embrace the challenge of change? Is becoming more scientific a necessity for staying in touch with your health care peers? How cost effective is the pastoral care you provide if it doesn’t include the scientific process? Could a reluctance to incorporate science into your counseling cost you your job? Professional Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education Should Become More Scientific: Yes and No presents thoughtful and thought-provoking debate that is a must-read for all pastoral caregivers and educators.

Communication research is evolving and changing in a world of online journals, open-access, and new ways of obtaining data and conducting experiments via the Internet. Although there are generic encyclopedias describing basic social science research methodologies in general, until now there has been no comprehensive A-to-Z reference work exploring methods specific to communication and media studies. Our entries, authored by key figures in the field, focus on special considerations when applied specifically to communication research, accompanied by engaging examples from the literature of communication, journalism, and media studies. Entries cover every step of the research process, from the creative development of research topics and questions to literature reviews, selection of best methods (whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed) for analyzing research results and publishing research findings, whether in traditional media or via new media outlets. In addition to expected entries covering the basics of theories and methods traditionally used in communication research, other entries discuss important trends influencing the future of that research, including contemporary practical issues students will face in communication professions, the influences of globalization on research, use of new recording technologies in fieldwork, and the challenges and opportunities related to studying online multi-media environments. Email, texting, cellphone video, and blogging are shown not only as topics of research but also as means of collecting and analyzing data. Still other entries delve into considerations of accountability, copyright, confidentiality, data ownership and security, privacy, and other aspects of conducting an ethical research program. Features: 652 signed entries are contained in an authoritative work spanning four volumes available in choice of electronic or print formats. Although organized A-to-Z, front matter includes a Reader’s Guide grouping entries thematically to help students interested in a specific aspect of communication research to more easily locate directly related entries. Back matter includes a Chronology of the development of the field of communication research; a Resource Guide to classic books, journals, and associations; a Glossary introducing the terminology of the field; and a detailed Index. Entries conclude with References/Further Readings and Cross-References to related entries to guide students further in their research journeys. The Index, Reader’s Guide themes, and Cross-References combine to provide robust search-and-browse in the e-version.

Through a rich variety of case studies, this book provides insight into the patient's needs and the chaplain's perspective, as well as discussions of spiritual assessments and spiritual care interventions. Case studies such as a request to baptise a child complicated due to his admission for 'psychiatric reasons', as well as work with military veterans, such as a female transgender veteran who has been alienated from her faith, show the breadth and complexity of work that chaplains undertake daily. Each section also includes critical responses to the case studies presented from a chaplain and related healthcare professional. This book will enable chaplains to critically reflect on the spiritual care they provide, and provide an informed perspective for healthcare professionals and others involved in chaplaincy services.

A Handbook of Chaplaincy Studies explores fundamental issues and critical questions in chaplaincy, spanning key areas of health care, the prison service, education and military chaplaincy. Leading authors and practitioners in the field present critical insight into the challenges and opportunities facing those providing professional spiritual care. From young men and women in the military and in custody, to the bedside of those experiencing life’s greatest traumas, this critical examination of the role played by the chaplain offers a fresh and informed understanding about faith and diversity in an increasingly secular society. An invaluable compendium of case-studies, academic reflection and critical enquiry, this handbook offers a fresh understanding of traditional, contemporary and innovative forms of spiritual practice as they are witnessed in the public sphere. Providing a wide-ranging appraisal of chaplaincy in an era of religious complexity and emergent spiritualities, this pioneering book is a major contribution to a relatively underdeveloped field and sets out how the phenomenon of chaplaincy can be better understood and its practice more robust and informed.

In Collaborative Practical Theology, Henk de Roest documents and analyses research on Christian practices as it can be conducted by academic practical theologians in collaboration with practitioners of different kinds in Christian practices all around the world.

This book takes readers from very basic research concepts, such as ‘causality’ and ‘variables’, to the application of different types of statistical analyses. The first two chapters introduce the scientific method and causality, and assess the degree to which the major types of research designs used in health care studies allow researchers to make causal inferences. The book concludes with a detailed description of the seven critical factors that must be controlled to draw causal inferences from experimental studies. The rest of the book covers levels of measurement, i.e. nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales; operational definitions; risk factors, independent and dependent variables, and other kinds of variables; how to calculate and interpret measures of central tendency and variability; the normal curve; commonly used measures of association and what they mean; criteria that have been suggested for inferring causality from nonexperimental research; and different types of t-tests. This book provides fundamental and practical knowledge about research methodology that is essential for health care chaplains, and students and professionals in other health care fields and the social sciences. The chapters in this book were originally published as articles in the Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy.

Research literacy is now a requirement for Board-Certified chaplains in the US and a growing field in the UK. This reader gives an overview and introduction to the field of healthcare chaplaincy research. The 21 carefully chosen articles in this book illustrate techniques critical to chaplaincy research: case studies; qualitative research; cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative research, and randomized clinical trials. The selected articles also address wide-ranging topics in chaplaincy research for a comprehensive overview of the field. To help readers engage with the research, each article includes a discussion guide highlighting crucial content, as well as important background information and implications for further research. This book is the perfect primary text for healthcare chaplaincy research courses, bringing together key articles from peer-reviewed journals in one student-friendly format.

Evidence-based medicine has transformed contemporary medical practice. For over twenty-five years, George Fitchett has been a pioneering advocate of the view that evidence-based spiritual care can, and should, equally transform chaplaincy. This book collects a key selection from his ground-breaking research. As models of good research practice, these papers demonstrate the real-world value of research and introduce their readers to issues that have continuing importance to spiritual care and professional chaplaincy. As such, this collection offers an ideal introduction to spiritual-care research. The collection is complemented by three essays, specially commissioned from observers well-positioned to comment on future directions for both professional chaplaincy and spiritual-care research.