A Foundation for Today’s Healthcare Chaplaincy in Western Societies: The Liminality Model

Given changes in the religious landscape and in health care in contemporary Western societies, healthcare chaplains are in need of a new shared and communicable understanding of their specific position and role in healthcare institutions. Developing such an understanding not only calls for more empirical studies into healthcare chaplaincy, but also for theoretical models which help interpret and integrate empirical findings. This paper describes the ‘liminality model’ of contemporary healthcare chaplaincy, which was developed on the basis of structured discussions of an international expert panel. This conceptual model characterizes healthcare chaplaincy as a practice of ‘engaging with liminality’. ‘Liminality’ here refers both to individuals’ liminal experiences in relation to health transitions and to liminal moments, spaces, and positions in healthcare organizations. At the experiential level, engaging with liminality involves offering compassionate presence, and addressing existential concerns of patients, family members, and staff. At the organizational level, engaging with liminality involves educating healthcare professionals about spirituality and spiritual care, supporting medical decision-making, and advocating for marginalized voices. The model thus explains how the different roles that chaplains fulfill in health care can be understood as different facets of engaging with liminality.