ABSTRACT
In the examination of the chaplain at moments of historic change, we noted the political and ecclesiastical influences that have re-shaped the understanding of what the chaplain ‘comes for’. Through an analysis of a small amount of ethnographic material, we have witnessed the pressing and potentially controversial nature of the chaplain’s pastoral role. And in the analysis of what followed the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s decision to axe its chaplaincy, we saw how various arguments were mobilized from different quarters to attack or defend the presence of chaplains in the health service. Theological considerations have been largely implicit in these various strands, but we now come to consider directly the contribution that practical theology can make to interrogating, interpreting and comprehending more fully the role of the contemporary chaplain. This latter task will be done in relation to two particular areas of concern: the person of the chaplain and the spaces within the hospital set apart for prayer, reflection and spiritual care.
