Spiritual Talk: Addressing Existential Themes in Interfaith Encounters

Anke I Liefbroer,Erik Olsman

doi:10.1515/ijpt-2019-0021

Abstract

Abstract Spiritual caregivers increasingly care for clients with other religious/spiritual (R/S) orientations than their own. To date, the ways in which spiritual caregivers deal with these differences have hardly been explored. Based on an analysis of audio records of 34 spiritual caregiver-patient interactions, this paper describes communication techniques used by spiritual caregivers to address existential themes in conversations with patients with various R/S orientations. The model presented describes these techniques regarding the extent to which spiritual caregivers comply with the patient’s R/S orientation and disclose their own R/S orientation. This model can be used to analyze how spiritual caregivers interact with their clients.

Highlights

In the field of spiritual care and chaplaincy, there is a growing need for empirically based research into what spiritual caregivers do and what the effect of their spiritual care provision is.[1]
The need for empirical studies is even more urgent since spiritual caregivers or chaplains increasingly care for patients and clients with a religious, spiritual, or non-religious/spiritual (R/S) orientation that is different from their own,[2] requiring empirical research that examines spiritual care in this changing R/S landscape
Several authors focus on spiritual caregiving to patients or clients with various R/S orientations.[3]

Summary

Introduction

In the field of spiritual care and chaplaincy, there is a growing need for empirically based research into what spiritual caregivers do and what the effect of their spiritual care provision is.[1] The need for empirical studies is even more urgent since spiritual caregivers or chaplains increasingly care for patients and clients with a religious, spiritual, or non-religious/spiritual (R/S) orientation that is different from their own,[2] requiring empirical research that examines spiritual care in this changing R/S landscape. 1 (2019): 98–114; Annelieke Damen, Allison Delaney, and George Fitchett, “Research.

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