Chaplaincy - a place for those who have sold out, can't hack church
ministry and don't believe in mission? Against the negative stereotypes,
this book argues that chaplains are a valuable resource to the Church.
Embedded in places as diverse as prisons, hospitals, educational
establishments and the armed forces, chaplains often encounter social
trends well in advance of the institutional churches. Their experiences
and expertise can be very helpful for thinking about ministry,
ecclesiology and the engagement with contemporary society. The first
five parts of this book gather together stories of 22 chaplains working
in a wide variety of contexts and from a range of Christian churches.
The final part consists of four essays on key themes: multi-faith
issues; the core skills needed by a chaplain; models of chaplaincy; and
tensions that can arise in the work. This book is for chaplains,
students, clergy and all those who are considering becoming a chaplain
or have dealings with people in the role. It will be of considerable
interest to anyone who wonders what exactly chaplains do, how and why
they do it and what the churches can learn from their experiences.