Thank you! As a rabbi and a multifaith hospice chaplain I appreciate expanding language. While I understand the lineage that chaplaincy comes from it has grown and become beautifully diverse and it deserves language that reflects its wide range of practioners.
Hi Dr. Keefe-Perry, thanks for putting this out into the world! Your article got me thinking. A good number of my Muslim chaplain colleagues like the language of the pastoral over the spiritual because it’s scripturally rooted. for a religious community that is textually focused, that is important. Especially given the newness of “chaplaincy” language for Muslim care receivers, the pastoral feels like a shared origin story for the Muslim care-giver, enabling the professional role that is interfaith, multi-faith and beyond faith.
Leenah, thank you so much for this! I think you’ve hit on the core reality here: there likely isn’t a one-size-fits-all term. What seems to be called for isn't a total abandonment of "pastoral," but rather the kind of intentionality and reflection you just demonstrated. The goal is to avoid presumption in either direction and instead remain agile enough to use the language that most honors the person and the tradition in front of us.
I appreciate your response, Prof. For me personally, “spiritual” is a bit ethereal and connotes a relational distance. “Pastoral” evokes images of dirt, mud and earth, much more “rolling up my sleeves” and getting engaged with you, kind of language. I think pastoral also lays a claim of responsibility and mutuality, “we belong together,” that the spirituality language doesn’t quite evoke for me.
Thank you! As a rabbi and a multifaith hospice chaplain I appreciate expanding language. While I understand the lineage that chaplaincy comes from it has grown and become beautifully diverse and it deserves language that reflects its wide range of practioners.
Hi Dr. Keefe-Perry, thanks for putting this out into the world! Your article got me thinking. A good number of my Muslim chaplain colleagues like the language of the pastoral over the spiritual because it’s scripturally rooted. for a religious community that is textually focused, that is important. Especially given the newness of “chaplaincy” language for Muslim care receivers, the pastoral feels like a shared origin story for the Muslim care-giver, enabling the professional role that is interfaith, multi-faith and beyond faith.
Leenah, thank you so much for this! I think you’ve hit on the core reality here: there likely isn’t a one-size-fits-all term. What seems to be called for isn't a total abandonment of "pastoral," but rather the kind of intentionality and reflection you just demonstrated. The goal is to avoid presumption in either direction and instead remain agile enough to use the language that most honors the person and the tradition in front of us.
I appreciate your response, Prof. For me personally, “spiritual” is a bit ethereal and connotes a relational distance. “Pastoral” evokes images of dirt, mud and earth, much more “rolling up my sleeves” and getting engaged with you, kind of language. I think pastoral also lays a claim of responsibility and mutuality, “we belong together,” that the spirituality language doesn’t quite evoke for me.
I was just examining this topic, yesterday in a post. Feel free to check it out,if you haven't already.
I think your "load-bearing" but vague explanation is interesting. I didn't know that. Thanks!