The work of the South African chaplains during the First World War was of an extremely high standard. The postwar military failed to recognise this contribution. In the 1920s and early 1930s the chaplaincy was allocated an inferior position within the military. It was only in 1938 that the first chaplains were appointed in the Permanent Force. During the Second World War the unwillingness of the UDF hierarchy to appoint a single chaplain as the head of a Chaplains' Branch influenced the ministry negatively. Inter-denominational issues were resolved on a basis of consensus amongst Principal Chaplains who were granted very little executive power. The establishment of the SA Corps of Chaplains in 1946 confirmed the permanency of the chaplaincy within the UDF. The appointment of the first Deputy Chaplain General in 1949 did much to ensure effective ministry. The discontinuation of this post in 1954 had a detrimental effect on the chaplaincy. With the establishment of the Department of Physical and Spiritual Welfare in 1966 no clear cut division was made between the responsibility for spiritual (pastoral) care and physical care (social welfare). This anomaly was rectified in 1968 when an independent directorate for the chaplaincy was created and in 1970 when a Chaplain General was appointed. The chaplaincy in South West Africa grew from a single chaplain at Walvis Bay in 1963 to an immense organisation with hundreds of chaplains. In 1980 the SWATF Chaplain Service was formed under command of its own director. The presence of SADF/SWATF chaplains in South West Africa ceased in 1989 with the implementation of UN Resolution 435. The 1990s was a decade of great transition and turmoil for the Chaplain Service. In 1994 the military chaplaincies of the TBVC countries, as well as members from MK and APLA, were integrated into the Chaplain Service. The implementation of the transformation policy of the Department of Defence resulted in the Chaplain Service becoming more representative of the communities it serves. / Theology / D. Th. (Theology)

This thesis explores the collaborative practice between psychiatrists and chaplains within three mental healthcare facilities in south central Ontario, Canada. From an overview of the current literature, there has been a renewed interest by psychiatrists in the healing qualities of religion and spirituality. However, the literature also reveals that psychiatrists have a tendency not to be interested in spiritual matters. So, despite the renewed interest in the effects of spirituality on persons with mental illness and the positive outcomes that the research reveals, many psychiatrists remain unconvinced about the use of spirituality in their practice. In the light of this, I undertook this research into the lived experiences of twelve psychiatrists and ten chaplains within three mental healthcare facilities within south central Ontario. From an overview of the literature, I noted the lack of engagement by chaplains in performing research and the lack of a theological focus on the collaborative practice between these two disciplines. This study is located within the discipline of practical theology using a transversal model of praxis. Through the use of hermeneutic phenomenology as both methodology and method within a qualitative framework, I engaged some of the fundamentals of the concepts within the work of the philosopher Hans Georg Gadamer,1 in order to gain access into the collaborative practices between psychiatrists and chaplains. Using the transversal model of cross-disciplinary dialogue, I come to an understanding of the array of collaborative or non-collaborative practices between psychiatrists and chaplains. I then come to the understanding that in many instances, it is up to the chaplain to lead the way in collaborative practice. Drawing on the Christian notion of hospitality, the persuasive communication techniques used by Jesus and current organization theories within healthcare, I bring about a more robust collaborative practice with psychiatrists.

The Civil War contained many examples of courage and commitment to duty that were inspired by religion. In recent years much has been written on this subject of religion and the Civil War but virtually all of it is written about Protestant chaplains and this has created a gap in the record. This thesis covers the role played by Catholic chaplains in Confederate army regiments from Louisiana. It explores their life, ministry, military role, and impact on the regiments. To cover this in depth the Catholic chaplains selected we those who left published records.

In this thesis I develop a new, wider and richer understanding of wellbeing, through developing a process of reflective practice, with healthcare professionals within their challenging work culture. As a healthcare chaplain, having witnessed poor staff morale, I conducted a critical examination of NHS wellbeing reports and strategies, which revealed an understanding of staff wellbeing that ironically follows simply a health model. Challenging this, I argue for a broader interpretation of wellbeing that, in addition to focusing on health, is more holistic, relational and contextual. I develop reflective practice to nurture this, the use of which extends in healthcare beyond education and professional development. In my action research, knowledge was generated through ethnographic participation and observation, over a year, reflecting as chaplain with eight teams of healthcare professionals. This used my simple and memorable HELP Wellbeing Reflection Cycle (building on Kolb's (1984) model of experiential learning) that combines reflection on work and personal development. My project also responds to Rolfe's call (2014) for greater use in healthcare of Schön's (1980) "reflection-in-action". Building on these works, I develop reflection for healthcare professionals to nurture their wellbeing. My encouragement of the participants to self-facilitate their own reflective groups, when familiar with this method of reflection, is also a contribution to reflective practice, healthcare and the chaplain's role. Thematic data analysis emerged from the reflexive field notes of our shared experience as co-reflective practitioners. The themes include healthcare professionals making the human connection between themselves and with their patients. They also value the space to reflect together, realising their desire for team support and a shared goal, as well as job satisfaction in this demanding culture. These themes, I argue, are consistent with the broader definitions of wellbeing, giving them the opportunity to be both a healthcare professional and human. Further data analysis also reveals consistency with wider wellbeing interpretations (including personal wellbeing measurements and data from the Office for National Statistics (2014, 2015)). I develop the role of chaplain as the healthcare professionals' co-reflector, sharing their reflective space as a pastoral encounter and a source for learning. This combines the images of "empty handed" (Swift, 2009) "welcoming guest" and "mutual hospitality" (Walton, M., 2012). I offer to national healthcare the wider understanding of wellbeing, and the value of creating provision for reflective space to nurture it, in the care of healthcare professionals. This research offers the potential for exciting further developments in a wider constituency both in and beyond healthcare.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Project Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-270).

This study utilises a hermeneutical phenomenological framework to explore the lived experience of losing a child and how this experience may be understood theologically, with a view to exploring the delivery of spiritual care to the bereaved. This three dimensional approach takes seriously the voices of the bereaved as they influence the move towards a deeper understanding of theology, spiritual care and the unique role of the hospital chaplain. To explore the lived experience, unstructured interviews were carried out with parents and grandparents in five bereaved families following the death of a child. This included 5 mothers, 3 fathers, 5 grandmothers and 4 grandfathers. The participants were identified and recruited because of their experience of the death of a child in the family, had some concept of God and had used the chaplaincy service. They were interviewed as married couples or as individuals if there were no partners taking part. There were ten interviews conducted during the first 6 months of the research and contact approved for a 5 year period should this be necessary. Gadamer's philosophy of interpretation was essential to this process as the research involved an in-depth, thematic and hermeneutical analysis of the interviews. This analysis produced three key themes: hope and struggle with God, a new experience of community and a changed relationship with the child. The themes were then viewed from a theological perspective and the insights gained were the basis for exploring the delivery of spiritual care in NHS Scotland. The findings offer new insights into the delivery of spiritual care, key amongst the findings being: • Chaplains are not specialists in spiritual care when defined as separate from religious care. • Chaplains are specialists in theology and the language of faith where developing a ‘critical theological tool box' is essential. • Chaplains are specialists in supporting people to personally engage with the questio Chaplains are specialists in supporting people to personally engage with the question of life, giving them permission to move outside the ‘traditional box' of religion. The findings of this research will hopefully challenge and inspire chaplains to review the meaning of spiritual care and assert the unique and essential place they have within NHS Scotland.

No description available.

Thesis (MArts(ReligionStudies))--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (MArts(ReligionStudies))--University of South Australia, 2002.