ABSTRACT
In this book I have brought together material from several eras and contexts to reflect on the chaplain working in hospitals in England. Inevitably it is an incomplete picture, but it begins to tell a story of the chaplain that reveals considerable complexity and insight into contemporary spirituality. In both the ethnography and the voices that emerged in the media during the crisis in Worcestershire, the chaplain was shown to be a prominent figure in the storytelling that brought the semblance of meaning to experiences of great personal pain and distress. The chaplain’s power to enable connections across generations, between life experiences and to give sacramental recognition to moments of personal crises remains a prominent feature of this ministry. At times when individual narratives collapse, the presence of the chaplain may contribute to the creation of new meaning and the hope of a sustainable story.
