Chaplains Investigate Their Practice: The Dutch Case Studies Project (Transforming Chaplaincy)

Chaplains Investigate Their Practice presents a collaborative study that analyzes more than a hundred instances of care by chaplains in various fields of chaplaincy in the Netherlands. The research provides an answer to the question: What do chaplains do—why, and with what results? Part 1 describes the method of the project. Part 2 consists of nine exemplary case studies illustrative of the project but also suited to educational purposes. Part 3 explores themes that emerged in the case studies regarding rituals, aesthetic means, goal orientation, chaplain roles, and community. Part 4 presents the results of the study by identifying a basic repertoire of chaplaincy care; the values, and the body of knowledge that guide the care; and effects of the care on clients’ feelings, behavior, and worldview. A secondary study examines the influence that participating in the study has had on the practices of these chaplain-researchers. The detailed study provides chaplains, students, and other professionals with a clear picture of what chaplains do and their contributions to the well-being of clients. It provides teachers and researchers with rich materials and methodological perspectives for their work.