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ABSTRACT
All just societies recognize the intrinsic right of people to practice their faith in accordance with their conscience. In order to practice faith, people need easy access to religious specialists who facilitate the free exercise of religion. When institutions and government agencies erect barriers that separate people from their spiritual care providers, the spiritual needs and essential rights of the people are compromised. This article argues that spiritual care is essential and that chaplains should advocate for the religious needs of their people when they lack meaningful access to a faith-specific spiritual care provider.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Supreme Court of the United States, Ray v. Alabama, 139 S.Ct. 953 (U.S. 2019).
2 Chandler, “Dominique Ray, Muslim Inmate, Executed after Appeal Over Spiritual Adviser Fails.”
3 Liptak, “Supreme Court Stays Execution of Buddhist Inmate.”
4 Supreme Court of the United States, Murphy v. Collier, 139 S.Ct. 1475 (U.S. 2019).
5 Clarke, “Texas Bans All Clergy from Death Chamber after Supreme Court Stays Execution.”
6 McCullough, “U.S. Supreme Court Halts Texas Execution of Ruben Gutierrez during Legal Fight Over Religious Advisers' Access to Death Chamber.”
7 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Gutierrez v. Saenz, No. 20–70009 (5th Cir. Jun. 12, 2020).
8 United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
9 National Archives and Records Administration, The Bill of Rights: A Transcription.
10 The United States Department of Justice, The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.
11 Sanders, Interfaith Ministry Handbook, 2015. Sanders explores how professional clergy should minister to institutionalized members of 15 faith traditions. He notes the specific function of the spiritual care provider and the unique role that he or she plays in the facilitating of a person’s religious faith. Facilitation often requires that the chaplain connect a person to a ministry specialist who can provide faith specific ministry.
12 Handzo, “The Process of Spiritual Care / Pastoral Care: A General Theory for Providing Spiritual / Pastoral Care Using Palliative Care as a Paradigm,” 33-34.
13 See World Health Organization, “Maintaining Essential Health Services: Operational Guidance for the COVID-19 Context: Interim Guidance, June 1, 2020” and Jefferson et al., “Physical Interventions to Interrupt or Reduce the Spread of Respiratory Viruses.”
14 Hugelius et al., “Consequences of Visiting Restrictions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrative Review,” 2.
15 Lowery, “Behavioral Health,” 271.
16 Ehman, “References to Spirituality, Religion, Beliefs, and Cultural Diversity in the Joint Commission’s Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals.” The Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requires accredited institutions to ensure that patients have access to quality spiritual care. Hospitals assess religious needs, honor spiritual beliefs, and provide spiritual care.
17 Neathery et al., “Spiritual Perspectives, Spiritual Care, and Knowledge of Recovery Among Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses,” 364-365.
18 Fitchett, “Health Care Chaplaincy as a Research-Informed Profession,” 391 and Iler et al., “The Impact of Daily Visits from Chaplains on Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Pilot Study,” 7-8.
19 Neathery et al., “Spiritual Perspectives, Spiritual Care, and Knowledge of Recovery Among Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses,” 364-365.
20 Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, Webinar: Telechaplaincy. A webinar on telechaplaincy discusses the challenges, opportunities, and best practices of remote spiritual care. By necessity, chaplains are utilizing remote care technologies. However, the effectiveness of remote spiritual care has not been fully ascertained because of a lack of rigorous research.
21 Crick, Outside the Gates, Citation2011, 109-110.
22 Ibid., 25-26.
23 The resolution was submitted to Mayor Matt Miller via the Rev. John Bouquet, the president of the Ashland Ministerial Association on February 18, 2021. On April 20, 2021, it was forwarded to State Representative Laura Lanese and State Senator Mark Romanchuk. Afterward, Alex Lapso, the legislative liaison with the executive division, took it for action.
24 Herby et al., “A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Lockdown on COVID-19 Mortality,” 40-43.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
William Payne
The Rev. William Payne, PhD, is a United Methodist pastor, retired Navy Chaplain (29 years), and tenured professor at Ashland Theological Seminary. He teaches practical theology and directs the chaplaincy studies programs. His research and writing focus on early American Methodism, ethnographic research, and spiritual warfare. Dr. Payne has a strong affinity for global Christianity and advocates for the multiethnic church. He has taught in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Significantly, he pastored a Cuban refugee camp in Panama, planted a large Spanish-speaking congregation, and has weekly video chats with an assortment of colleagues around the world.