Chaplaincy, Diversity, and the Common Good

Abstract

Welcome to this issue of the Journal of Pastoral Theology. Readers will note some changes in the editorial team. We begin by thanking Danjuma Gibson for his four years of extraordinary service as Co-Editor and welcoming Eunil David Cho aboard for his term. We also thank those editorial board members who rotated off this term and welcome those who have been elected to serve. We would especially like to express our warm appreciation to Sonya Waters for her generous service on the Board of Editors. This regular issue of the Journal of Pastoral Theology brings together three diverse religious and theological perspectives on chaplaincy with an article in the vein of public theology. As the JPT moves to expand its base of authors and readers to include more international and religious perspectives, we celebrate this wide-ranging participation. Jari Pirhonen, Suvi-Maria Saarelainen, Isto Peltomäki and Auli Vähäkangas contribute the lead article, ‘Past-oral Care – Christian Hope in Pastoral Care and Counseling for People With Severe Dementia in Finland.’ This article is based on a qualitative study of the pastoral care methods used by ten Evangelical Lutheran chaplains who work with persons with dementia in Finland. The carefully described study plumbs the lived experience of chaplaincy with a highly stigmatized population. What do these chaplains actually do when they visit with persons with dementia, and what are they trying to accomplish? Pirhonen et al. identify themes of presence, relationality, temporality, embodiment, and hope. They note the importance of nonverbal communication, especially when people with severe dementia are unable to narrate their experience. Additional practices include reminiscing to build temporal bridges between past, present, and future, active listening, even when what is said does not make sense, and the importance of tactile, embodied rituals that engage the senses. Poignantly, one chaplain describes how she engages the senses through offering the sacrament of communion: ‘If someone cannot drink, you moisten her lips with the wine to offer some taste.’ The authors analyze their findings through Christian theological lenses, engaging the work of John Swinton, Elaine Graham, and the Society of Pastoral Theology’s own Andrew Lester. Throughout, the authors emphasize their conviction that dementia does not define the person. This article is particularly useful for teaching students of chaplaincy, especially in the way that it models the study of lived chaplaincy practices and engages in theological reflection. Turning our gaze toward Islamic chaplaincy, the noted Islamic scholar and chaplain Celene Ibrahim contributes ‘Spiritual Care by and for Muslim Women in the United States.’ Taking a wide-angle view of spiritual care for Muslim women and girls in the US, Ibrahim notes that there is a distinct need for Muslim women and girls to confide in women rather than men, especially because of the traditional boundaries for decorum across gender lines in Islam. Surveying some of the leading women Muslim chaplains, scholars, and organizational directors across the country, Ibrahim notes that though Muslim women may be prohibited from filling certain key roles, such as preaching or leading Friday prayers, they are finding ways to meld pastoral care into related roles, such as teaching, chaplaincy, and voluntary or entrepreneurial programs that allow them to engage in spiritual