God on the Fly? The Professional Mandates of Airport Chaplains

Abstract

This article contributes to Bender et al's efforts to explore religion "on the edge" by analyzing how religion and spirituality are present in one set of public institutions-airports (2013

Humanizing Agents of Modern Capitalism? The Daily Work of Port Chaplains

“…Their access in most ports, given security concerns, is contingent on continued good relationships with gatekeepers in the port as well as with ship owners who make all final decisions about who has access to their vessels. It is likely for these reasons-much as in the airport contexts Wendy Cadge describes in her recent article-that port chaplains do not seek to change the economic system or advocate for structural changes to the shipping industry (Cadge 2018). Because chaplains have no fundamental right to access port environments, they must rely instead on goodwill and the demonstration of their willingness to offer a ministry of presence rather than economic or moral disruption.…”

“…We contribute to growing bodies of literature about "religion on the edge," religion "hiding in plain sight," and chaplaincy in airports, workplaces, and other unconventional settings, a case study of how port chaplains negotiate their roles and by doing their work in the day to day play multiple religiously informed roles (Bender et al 2013;Cadge and Konieczny 2014;Casanova 1994;Swift 2015). We do so aware of the long history of religious organizations and individuals in ports (i.e., the label "port chaplain" is new, but the presence of clergy and religiously people is not) and in conversation both with scholarship about how chaplains negotiate access to individuals in settings where the chaplain is and is not a required presence (Cadge 2018;Kverndal 1986Kverndal , 2008Rousmaniere 1995) and with sensitivity to the growing body of literature about the forms religion takes at institutional edges (Bender et al 2013).…”

“…The ways in which chaplains physically come to be present with people take various forms depending on the institutions within which they work. In her recent article about airport chaplains, Wendy Cadge describes how chaplains walk the terminals looking for people-passengers or staff-visibly upset or that they otherwise intuitively sense need a listening ear and human connection (Cadge 2018). In some hospitals chaplains also make their own rounds through units, receive referrals from other health care providers, and are available on an emergency basis via pagers (Cadge 2012).…”

Training Chaplains and Spiritual Caregivers: The Emergence and Growth of Chaplaincy Programs in Theological Education

“…Presence, traditionally part of the way chaplains describe their identities and authorities, was also noted in several interviews (see also Adams 2019;Cadge 2018;Cash 2004;Jacobsen, 2012;Sullivan 2014). In the words of Victor Gabriel, "The chaplain brings the perspective of presence instead of doing.. ..…”

“…Lutherans developed their own CPE programs and organizations, as did Southern Baptists. Today, not all seminaries require CPE, though most allow students to earn academic credit by taking one unit (Cadge 2012;Eastman 1951;Gerkin 1997;Hall 1992;Holifield 1983;Johnson 1968;Myers-Shirk 2008). One unit of CPE is roughly the equivalent of 100 h of direct and/or facilitated instruction and 300 h of experiential practice.…”