Proselytising and pastoral care: chaplains in Australian government schools
School chaplaincy in Australia is highly contentious. The federal government funds a chaplaincy programme in Australia’s secular public schools, which, combined with the declining influence of institutional Christianity, places Christian chaplains at the nexus of debates on the public role of religi...
| 主要作者: | |
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| 格式: | 电子 文件 |
| 语言: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| 出版: |
2024
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| In: |
Journal of beliefs and values
Year: 2024, 卷: 45, 发布: 4, Pages: 439–453 |
| Further subjects: | B
Secular
B Chaplaincy B Australia B Youth work B Schools |
| 在线阅读: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| 总结: | School chaplaincy in Australia is highly contentious. The federal government funds a chaplaincy programme in Australia’s secular public schools, which, combined with the declining influence of institutional Christianity, places Christian chaplains at the nexus of debates on the public role of religion. Yet little is known about how these chaplains integrate their religious convictions with their role. This article draws on 12 interviews with Christian chaplains, and asks: (1) how do these chaplains understand their faith within their role?; (2) how do they practice their faith through their role; and (3) how do they negotiate the ban on ‘proselytising’? This article finds that chaplains see their work as a call from God that enables a deep sense of purpose, and is also aimed at young people’s empowerment. They practically express their faith through care, bridging school and Christian communities, and prayer. Last, they practice conversations about faith, described as ‘dialogical evangelism’. Given the lack of studies of chaplaincy practice in secular contexts, this article is significant for its empirical depth, and discussion of controversial topics. It concludes by examining the significance of these findings for policy makers, and for wider debates about the interaction between religious people and secular institutions. School chaplaincy is widespread in Australia, reaching over 3000 schools at a cost of over AUDUSD60m per year. It is also a widespread practice in many other countries. In Australia, school chaplains provide pastoral support to students who are struggling with issues related to their personal, peer, and family lives. Their role is generally seen in a positive light by the schools they work in. However, there has been much controversy over their role. This is because chaplains must be employed by religious organisations. In a highly secular country like Australia, this raises concerns amongst some teachers, youth workers, policy makers and academics. Are these chaplains bringing their faith into their work? If they are, what does that look like in practice? Are they doing this in an ethical way? This study interviewed twelve chaplains in Australia, and asked them about how they put their faith and their work together. For policy makers, this study shows some of the areas within the school chaplaincy programme that need clarifying, and this clarity will help both chaplains, and hopefully allay some of the fears of those who criticise the programme. For teachers and other staff in schools, it provides an ‘inside look’ at how their chaplain colleagues understand their role. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9362 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of beliefs and values
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13617672.2023.2171235 |
