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Journal Volume 5 No. 2 October 2002 EDITORIAL I am writing this editorial on September 11, the '9:11' which has branded itself into the soul of a generation of US citizens. The collapse of the twin towers brought down into the dust the self-understanding, the national story, the sense of the coherence of things, in the minds of so many, leaving behind an eerie silence, now filled with the rhetoric of war. Into what narrative will 9:11 be woven in future years? 'When storytelling fails, what then?' asks Heather Walton, as she explores the limits of narrative theology. We weave our stories, and they give sense to our lives. In their way, the first three articles all allude to this need to be part of a story. Kelly begins by exploring aspects of the spiritual carer's story, the story that may be challenged and changed in the pastoral encounter. Beuken explains how Christ's story can incorporate and give meaning to the sufferers anguish; while Walton moves into the wilderness of a pain that destroys language, coherence and connection. We include
two contributions from the field of men-tal health. Chalmers writes
of the subtle abuses of power to which the mental health chaplain can
fall prey, while Brown tackles the complex relationship between religion
and psychiatry. His remarks on the neglect of the spiritual in mental
health care call to my mind the words of Stavros Kofinas in his European
Network of Health Care Chaplaincy (ENHCC) co-ordinator's report of August
6th, of whom and of which, more below. In conversation with American
chaplains, he recognises that the mutual suspicion of psychiatrists
and pastors is a problem common to chaplaincy in many countries. May Yuri Zelentsov's article be the first of many! Yuri allows us to gain an insight into the life of a young Salvation Army chaplain who works in St Petersburg caring for children with AIDS. His story moves us to sadness at times, and yet there is so much of hope, joy and love here too. Here, surely, is reflected the true heart of chaplaincy, always and everywhere. Georgina
Nelson Print
Editorial (PDF Format) |
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CONTENTS SPEAKING
IN SIGNS: NARRATIVE AND TRAUMA IN PASTORAL THEOLOGY Pages 2-5 Narrative is often seen as the locus of a healing encounter between those who suffer and those who offer pastoral/spiritual care. Both canonical narrative theology, in which the story of Jesus gives meaning to all human stories, and constructive narrative theology, in which redemptive power rests in the human capacity for storytelling itself, can offer chaplains important theological and pastoral insights. But not all who suffer can find or create a narrative to fit them; not all who have experienced trauma can find words to tell their story. To respond to such a crisis in human narrative, we need to enable communication by means of image, symbol and metaphor, or even through learning to preserve a sacred and eloquent silence. Keywords : trauma, narrative theology, chaplaincy, storytelling, spiritual/pastoral care. Heather Walton is Lecturer in Practical Theology in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Glasgow Full Text (PDF Format) PALLIATIVE
CARE : A THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION Pages 6-10 This article seeks to explore the richness of meaning contained within the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. In circumstances where a person receiving palliative care is struggling against illness, the sacrament supports them in that struggle, and yet points beyond it towards a gradual acceptance of powerlessness. The author explores the themes of powerlessness and hope, and describes a powerlessness out of which hope may spring, because it is an entering into Christ's own experience. It becomes therefore a prelude to resurrection hope. The sacrament of the sick encourages and engenders this hope, which is wider than the individual, and extends to the whole body of Christ. The sacrament is also an invitation to action; to a caring, a solidarity in suffering and a compassion which imply a deeper sharing in the very life of Christ. [The editors]. Key words: sacrament; Roman Catholic; anointing; pastoral care; hospice; palliative care George Beuken is Pastoral & Spiritual Director at St. Andrew’s Hospice , Airdrie Full Text (PDF Format) PREPARATION
FOR PROVIDING SPIRITUAL CARE Pages 11-15 Spiritual care has become recognised as part of the holistic care offered collaboratively by health care professionals (HCPs), family and friends in hospi-tals and in the community to patients and their significant others. This article seeks to explore, from the perspective of a hospital chaplain working in an acute hospital setting, several issues which need to be considered by HCPs prior to offering spiritual care to others. These include HCPs having a degree of insight into their own personal story as well as questions about what they understand the nature of spirituality, spiritual need and the assessment of spiritual need to be. This article is based on the premise that in offering spiritual care to others we have to develop an ongoing awareness of who we are and what our needs are, as well as the needs of the other. Key words : awareness, moment, story, spirituality, spiritual need, assessment Ewan Kelly is chaplain at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. Full Text (PDF Format) RELIGIOUS
BELIEF AND THE PRACTICE OF PSYCHIATRY Pages 16-20 A psychiatrist reflects upon his long experience of the complex interaction between religion and psychiatry. Although committed to the advances wrought by the bio medical approach to illness, he identifies a widespread neglect of the Spiritual in mental health care, which belies its claim to be truly holistic. The article discusses the concept of spiritual illness and the limits of psychiatry, and then poses the question whether religious belief is good for a person's mental health. In his conclusion the author, himself a Christian, underlines the need for psychiatry to have the fullest possible understanding of the patient's world view, and that this will necessarily involve a consideration of the importance of the Spiritual. [The editors] Key words : mental health; spirituality; religion; psychiatry; spiritual illness. Tom Brown is consultant liaison psychiatrist at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow Full Text (PDF Format) ABUSE OF POWER IN PASTORAL RELATIONSHIPS Murray Chalmers Pages 21-25 Pastoral Care, in a mental health setting as elsewhere, ideally offers understanding, comfort and help. But pastors are only human, and can in subtle ways, consciously or unconsciously, fall short of their own standards. This article discusses ways in which power can be abused in the context of pastoral relationships, and gives illustrations and examples from the author's own experience in mental health chaplaincy. Key words: abuse, pastoral care, relationship of care, revenge Murray Chalmers is chaplain at the Royal Edinburgh hospital, Edinburgh. Full Text (PDF Format) REJECTED AND ABANDONED: GLIMPSES OVER THE BEIGE PAINTED WALL. Yuri Zelentsov Pages 26-29 In this article we get a unique insight into healthcare chaplaincy in Russia. The author gives us a moving personal insight into his work among children, teenagers and expectant mothers, mostly with HIV. He describes what the word 'chaplain' means to people, his daily work and experiences, the difficulties and the blessings. He concludes with a moving 'wish list' that illustrates the stark differences between Scottish and Russian experiences of healthcare. [The editors] Key Words: Chaplain, children, clown, HIV/AIDS, Vospitatel (brings up, nourishes, nurtures) Yuri Zelentsov is the Salvation Army chaplain at the Practical & Research Centre for Paediatric HIV/AIDS in St. Petersburg, Russia. Full Text (PDF Format) EUROPEAN NETWORK OF HEALTH CARE CHAPLAINCY: AN EXERCISE IN BUILDING VIRTUAL COMMUNITY Fred Coutts Pages 30-33 The author describes the development of electronic communication which has enabled the development of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy. He argues that such electronic communities are real communities, but that in this case, the electronic community exists to foster a sense of community which reaches fulfilment in the face-to-face meeting of the participants. Key Words: community, e-mail, e-group, European chaplains, website Fred Coutts is a whole-time healthcare chaplain working at Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust. He attended the EHCC Consultations at Chania and Turku and is currently a member of the committee of ENHCC and webmaster of www.eurochaplains.org. He also acts as webmaster for the SACH website www.sach.org.uk and the Healthcare Chaplaincy Training and Development Unit site, www.chaplains.co.uk Full Text (PDF Format) |
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BOOK REVIEWS Pages 34-37 Books Reviewed Coping
with Suicide. Using
Information and Communication Technology in Healthcare
Communicating
with Dying People and their Relatives Faith
in Hospices: Full Text (PDF Format) |
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| THE
ORERE SOURCE
The Rev. W. Noel Brown, A CPE Supervisor, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago.is the editor and puiblisher of THE ORERE SOURCE, a bi-monthly compendium of his abstracts from the pastoral care literature. Full Text (PDF Format) |
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