This study explores, from a chaplaincy perspective, the intersection of moral injury and military chaplaincy in the context of the politically charged Australian 2001 “Children Overboard Affair” (CHOA) involving HMAS Adelaide. The purpose of this research was three-fold: (i) it investigates how the Australian Government’s “detect and deny” asylum seeker policy may have contributed to a potential moral injury (PMI) among Navy personnel; (ii) it also explores Australia’s legal obligations under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the moral-ethical tensions generated by operational decisions made during the CHOA event, and (iii) it considers the role of chaplains in supporting personnel during and after a morally injurious event. The research initially undertook a systematic literature review to identify publicly available documents and publications relating to CHOA. Qualitative content analysis was subsequently used to examine the included literature and to discern common thematic categories for further exploration. The analysis revealed four major themes: (i) language framing of CHOA, (ii) power dynamics and moral silencing, (iii) spiritual and moral isolation and (iv) failure of institutional accountability. Grounded in moral injury theory, the biopsychosocial–spiritual (BPSS) paradigm, as well as practical biblical theology and the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide (RCDVS), this study highlights the unique position of chaplains in companioning the morally injured. It advocates for a proactive, integrated chaplaincy approach to moral repair in military contexts.

Christopher C. H. Cook, Isabelle Hamley & John Swinton (2023) Struggling with God: Mental Health and Christian Spirituality. London: SPCK, 140 pp. (pbk). ISBN: 9780281086412

Chaplaincy care is often described as a relational and moral practice, which is based on an attitude of presence. Safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenged chaplains in reshaping their work. This article questions what characterized chaplains’ relational practice during the crisis, and what moral orientations helped them in maintaining or rebuilding this. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 health care chaplains during the lock-down of Dutch nursing homes, spring 2020. Thematic analyses revealed six subthemes as part of the overarching theme of ‘engagement with the suffering other’. Participants had to overcome moral challenges which required a reorientation or revaluation of their standards of care. Although the research focused on these particular COVID-19 circumstances, the relational work and accompanying moral perspectives is intrinsically tied to chaplaincy practice. Moreover, the study points to the need for attention to moral dilemmas and meaning-seeking processes of the chaplains themselves in crisis situations.

Sacha Pearce & Jan Collis (2022) Creating Space: Story, Reflection and Practice in Healthcare Chaplaincy. Durham: Sacristy Press, 182pp. (pbk). ISBN 978-1-78959-213-9

This paper is written to describe the establishment and ongoing sustaining of a chaplaincy-led peer-to-peer (P2P) listening service in an acute National Health Service (NHS) Trust in the United Kingdom, which was implemented as a service improvement. It considers the value of compassionate listening within the context of loneliness evidenced in the general population and the documented occupational burden of working in the health service. It reflects on how a peer listening service has been developed and shaped by the role and values of chaplaincy and spiritual care, and delivered by a range of healthcare disciplines and roles. This service has had 6,771 contacts with staff, with 34% being primarily work-related. Recommendations are made for a dedicated team to lead a new service such as this and the positive impact of peer-to-peer listening for healthcare staff wellbeing.

This essay reflects upon the utilization of Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) concepts in healthcare chaplaincy to enhance spiritual care. By examining key CSR concepts such as the Hyperactive Agency Detection Device (HADD), teleological reasoning, Theory of Mind (ToM), and the Minimally Counterintuitive Effect (MCI effect), this paper explores how these frameworks can validate, normalize, and assess patients’ spiritual struggles, along with the challenges and limitations of applying CSR in spiritual care. The integration of these cognitive insights can lead to more empathetic and scientifically informed spiritual care during health crises. This cross-disciplinary approach aims to honor the spiritual dimensions of patients’ lives and improve their overall health and resilience.

K. D. Acquaviva (2023) The Handbook of LGBTQIA-Inclusive Hospice and Spiritual Care. New York and Chichester: Columbia University Press, 348 pp. (pbk). ISBN: 9780231206433

This study explores the role of chaplaincy in an interprofessional home care team supporting patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Germany. Drawing on qualitative interviews with team members, we examine how the chaplain contributed to team development, spiritual care delivery and the cultivation of workplace spirituality and identified four themes: (1) positive perception of chaplaincy in the team; (2) chaplains as impulse givers; (3) chaplaincy works on multiple levels; and (4) challenges and learning need. Findings indicate that the chaplain played a key role in fostering reflection, enhancing team cohesion and supporting both patients and professionals in emotionally demanding situations. Based on thematic analysis, we propose a theoretical competency framework for chaplains in outpatient care settings, addressing both patient-facing and team-oriented dimensions of care. Expected competencies include communication skills, theological literacy and openness to interprofessional collaboration, as well as homecare-specific competence, encompassing adaptability and responsiveness to evolving needs of patients, families and the broader care team; reflective and ethical practice, including contributions to teambased ethical deliberation, value clarification and processing of moral distress; and workplace spirituality and team culture, referring to the chaplain’s role in strengthening interprofessional cohesion, facilitating team rituals and promoting workplace spirituality. This model may inform recruitment, training and professional development of chaplains in emerging fields such as neuropalliative care and offers insights from a Central European context, while highlighting chaplaincy’s evolving role in dynamic, collaborative healthcare environments.

This issue of Health and Social Care Chaplaincy (HSCC) carries a broad range of topics. These topics include: the exploration of cognitive science in religion-informed spiritual care, the role of chaplaincy in an interprofessional neuropalliative outpatient team, a taxonomic approach for introducing spiritual care in healthcare settings, a peer-to-peer staff listening service for acute contexts, the indirect effects of prayer on stress and life satisfaction for participants in Alcoholics Anonymous and finally the moral reorientations of healthcare chaplains during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also several book reviews discussing LGBTQIA inclusive hospice spiritual care, mental health and Christian spirituality, and finally, creating a sacred space for story, reflection and practice in healthcare chaplaincy. The subject matter experts of these diverse topics come from numerous countries, namely, England, Ireland, Germany, Estonia, Netherlands, Poland and the United States. The editorial concludes by noting information about the inaugural Australian and New Zealand Moral Injury Conference (ANZMIC 2026).

Prayer is an effective way of coping, leading to beneficial outcomes. Alcohol-dependent participants of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) use prayer to build a bond with God, which is an important factor in well-being and sobriety maintenance. This study aimed to verify the underlying mechanism of the relationship between prayer as an antecedent of God’s support and life satisfaction and the role of hope and stress. In this cross-sectional study, 115 individuals from Poland attending AA meetings participated. The mechanisms underlying the link between prayer and life satisfaction were confirmed. The beneficial role of hope in the life satisfaction of AA participants from Poland was proven. Prayer was both directly and indirectly associated with life satisfaction. Prayer, as a positive antecedent of God’s support, was indirectly related to hope, which in turn correlated directly positively with both life satisfaction and satisfaction with different domains of life and indirectly through stress. Prayer, as a spiritual practice and a significant way to bond with God, should be used as an essential factor for both religiously committed and religiously skeptical individuals addicted to alcohol to improve their life satisfaction by shaping hope and effectively managing stress.