This article first appeared in a book by Helen Orchard exploring spirituality in healthcare contexts. It draws heavily on my doctoral research. I share it here simply because I think it still has something to say as we consider the nature of ministry particularly when working in sectors outside of the Church. I seek to affirm the vital place of Chaplain is in the life of healthcare but critique the culture of professionalism.
There are further questions to ask as the relationship between organised religion and the prevailing culture within which it sits as it becomes ever more complex. Where is our distinctiveness and identity? What are the dangers of professionalisation in its relationship to theology and ministerial practice?