Abstract

This textbook untangles the complicated ethical dilemmas that arise during the day-to-day work of healthcare chaplaincy, and offers a sturdy but flexible framework which chaplains can use to reflect on their own practice. Tackling essential issues such as consent, life support, abortion, beginning and end of life and human dignity, it enables chaplains to tease out the ethical implications of situations they encounter, to educate themselves on relevant legal matters and to engage with different ethical viewpoints. The book combines case studies of familiar scenarios with thorough information on legal matters, while providing ample opportunity for workplace reflection and offering guidance as to how chaplains can best support patients and their families while preserving their own integrity and well-being. Clear, sensitive and user-friendly, this will be an indispensable resource for healthcare chaplains and all healthcare professionals interested in spiritual care.
A wonderfully clear example of applied ethics, very much written with the working Chaplain in mind. I expect we will see a copy on the shelves of most acute Chaplaincy Departments, and I would specifically commend to those from a Christian tradition considering Chaplaincy as a vocation to read cover to cover. Packed with useful guidance on tricky issues, it also engages the reader on a self-reflective journey through the gamut of ethical challenges we may encounter in acute hospitals. All in all, a real contribution to our Chaplaincy toolkit.
Dr Simon Harrison (President, CHCC)
Pia Matthews is a Senior Lecturer of Bioethics, Medical Law, Theology and Healthcare Ethics at St Mary's University Twickenham.
Ethical Questions in Healthcare Chaplaincy is a an invaluable tool with which to think about the many challenging pastoral situations a chaplain may encounter. Its use of different scenarios and related questions helps the chaplain reflect on what he sees, to think critically about his response and thereby improve his care and support of those to whom he ministers. Having previously worked full time as a hospital chaplain for 11 years I only wish this book had been available then.
Bishop Paul Mason