Practical Theology in the Public Arena:

1
Practical Theologyin the Public Arena

• A critical reflection on
• the diversity agenda
• Andrew Todd

2
Introduction

• Cardiff Centre for Chaplaincy Studies
• Working with and for chaplains
• Education and research
• Resources for chaplaincy
• Articulating the significance of chaplaincy to
  wider audiences

3
The Politics of Pastoral Care

• Bringing to this conference interests in
• Chaplaincy at places of intersection
• Faith, spirituality and secular organisations
• Theology and politics
• Practical theology beyond faith community
  boundaries in public arena
• An observer!

4
Diversity Agenda

• Reasons for this focus for reflection
• Equality diversity integral to public policy
  including healthcare
• Interwoven with the practice of
  chaplaincy-spiritual care, especially
• With multi-faith practice
• With primacy of spiritual care
• Different than in local faith communities

5
Approach

• Explore equality diversity
• Connect with healthcare chaplaincy
• Identify the challenge for reflection
• Reflect theologically, drawing on the New
  Testament
• Engage in dialogue
• Connect back to public policy

6
Defining Terms

• Equality Diversity Legislation
• Age
• Disability
• Gender
• Race
• Religion Belief
• Sexual orientation
• Work the family http//www.idea.gov.uk/

7
Equality and Diversity

• Equality
• Equality of opportunity
• Minority groups anti-discrimination
• Diversity
• Recognition of difference
• Valuing and harnessing difference

8
The Case for Diversity

• Equal rights
• Business case
• Ethical argument
• Underlying context and values
• Globalisation key driver for change
• Autonomy the right to be the person I am
• Pluralism plurality as good not just fact

9
Diversity Healthcare Chaplaincy

• Two overlapping agendas
• Multi-faith chaplaincy
• Equal opportunity for faith practice and support
• Primacy of spiritual care
• Responding to diversity
• Reaching beyond faith
• Spirituality as a language for diversity
  because it is person-centred

10
Diversity Healthcare Chaplaincy

• This further gives rise to a discussion about
• Generic chaplaincy
• Different understandings of that term balancing
  particular cultural interests the needs of the
  individual
• Different practices of team-working, etc.

11
Responding to Diversity

• Questions
• How does equality diversity policy touch your
  practice as a chaplain?
• How do you balance the multi-faith and spiritual
  care agendas?
• What is your understanding of generic
  chaplaincy?

12
The challenge to reflect

• Equality Diversity provide a challenge to
  consider how we
• Reflect on stereotyping and labelling
• Are aware of prejudice and discrimination
• Relate to difference
• Bring our theology to bear

13
Areas of Diversity

• Reflection and engagement could be with the
  individual diversity areas (Age, Disability,
  Gender, Race, Religion Belief, Sexual
  orientation, Work the Family). Important
• Because all might relate to spiritual care
• Because of ambivalent history of faith community
  responses

14
The Agenda Itself

• Alternatively the Equality Diversity agenda
  itself might provide material for reflection, in
  relation to
• Autonomy
• Pluralism
• Both as a particular way of engaging with
  difference

15
Connecting with Chaplaincy

• A particular chaplain listening in the midst of
  multiple concerns as a safeguard of the patients
  autonomy
• Mowat Swinton (2005) spiritual neutrality
  as a response to spiritual plurality
• But what is the chaplains framework for such
  open listening?

16
Beginning to Reflect

• A reflection from a Christian theologian, rooted
  in the New Testament
• The starting point
• Jesus was inclusive!
• Jesus reached out to those who were different, or
  marginalised

17
Some Difficulties

• The New Testament portrayal of Jesus being
  inclusive is ambiguous
• Equality diversity thinking highlights some of
  the challenges of the texts
• it is not right to take the childrens bread
  and throw it to the dogs Mk 7.27

18
A History of Being Different

• This ambiguous/ambivalent portrayal should not
  be surprising
• Maps onto the early history of the church
• Working at including people within the community
  (especially Gentiles)
• But also defining the community as different from
  Judaism and the Graeco-Roman world
• Internal inclusion in the context of being a
  minority

19
Wider Framework for Listening

• Also have to think about the wider framework for
  Jesus openness
• Certainly encounters which did not determine the
  outcome
• But which were nonetheless a moment of choice
  (crisis)
• Person-centred but eschatological!

20
Wider Framework for Listening

• The encounter with Jesus involved the offer of
  something that fitted the needs of the person but
  was demanding of them as well
• Salvation (healing) and hope offered
• Repentance (metanoia) and faith opened up these
  possibilities

21
Juxtaposition

• It is worth juxtaposing
• Autonomy
• Spiritual neutrality
• with
• Salvation hope
• Repentance faith

22
Questions

• Question 1
• How might the experience of being a healthcare
  chaplain, living with diversity seeking to
  respond neutrally, respecting peoples autonomy,
  provide new insight into salvation and hope,
  repentance and faith?

23
Questions

• Question 2
• How might New Testament concepts of salvation
  and hope, repentance and faith help us
  re-examine approaches to equality and diversity
  and the limits of autonomy and professional
  neutrality?

24
Responding Critically

• Salvation and hope raise the questions
• What end is in view?
• How is the reality that is envisioned different
  from the provisionality of now?
• Is the equality and diversity agenda about
  Rights, productivity, security or more?

25
Responding Critically

• Repentance and faith ask the questions
• If the end in view does promise reality in place
  of provisionality, what is the nature of the
  change that we must undergo what kind of
  metanoia is needed?
• What is the communal and relational dimension of
  the trust implied?
• What is the role of chaplains in this?
• What can the chaplain hope for?

26
Questions for now

• Such questions have an urgency
• Since 2001 government has recognised the limits
  of autonomy and diversity
• This is especially in response to extremism and
  violence
• Their response is to push community cohesion and
  shared values
• http//www.communities.gov.uk/communities/

27
Cohesion, Shared Values and Faith

• Questions about salvation and hope, repentance
  and faith are timely
• Clarity about shared values is elusive
• Understanding about how cohesion happens is
  embryonic
• And
• Faith communities are seen as resources (and that
  includes chaplains)

28
Response

• What now is your response to equality and
  diversity (cohesion and shared values)?
• What is your theological response?
• How might this shape your practice as a
  healthcare chaplain?

29
References

• Beckford, J 2003 Social Theory and Religion
  Cambridge University Press
• Clements, P Jones, J 2006 The Diversity
  Training Handbook 2nd ed. Kogan Page
• McGhee, D 2008 The End of Multiculturalism?
  Terrorism, integration and human rights Open
  University

30
References

• Mowat, H Swinton J 2005 What do Chaplains Do?
  The role of the chaplain in meeting the spiritual
  needs of patients Mowat Research
• Wetherell, M, Lafleche, M Berkeley, R 2007
  Identity, Ethnic Diversity and Community Cohesion
  Sage