Spiritual Care and Clinical Practice Transformed: At the Intersection of Vulnerability & Awe

Klein, Lori; Chou, Calvin; Moon, Hellena

This groundbreaking anthology expands the boundaries of spiritual care in medical settings, offering a bold and necessary rethinking of how emotional, ethical, and existential support is provided to patients, families, and healthcare professionals. The editors—Klein, Chou, and Moon—argue that spiritual care must move beyond traditional, Christian-centered models to include the deeply embodied, emotional, and relational work already being done across medical disciplines, which they see as transdisciplinary spiritual care. Drawing on affect theory, decolonial thought, and humanist ethics, the book calls for a more inclusive, relationship-based understanding of care, one that embraces vulnerability, emotional connection, and interdependence. It critiques colonial categories of religion and calls for the repair and reclamation of marginalized spiritual knowledge practices. Through this lens, certain aspects of spiritual care become a shared practice, one grounded in mutual regard, community, and moral responsibility to the other. By addressing key gaps in the current spiritual care literature, this collection offers new language, frameworks, and practices for a more holistic, just, and person-centered healthcare system. It is essential reading for healthcare providers, chaplains, educators, ethicists, and anyone committed to transforming the culture of care.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2026-05-19

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9783032176738

DOI:

Dimensions: 210.0cm x148.0cm

Pages: None