Spiritual Care of the Nonreligious

Professional chaplains need education and humility to provide skillful and sensitive spiritual support to the growing numbers of nonreligious persons – the so-called “spiritual but not religious,” unaffiliated, agnostics, and atheists – in their institutions. Training should encourage increased awareness of why persons are nonreligious, a clear understanding of the chaplain’s role as a caregiver of all, inclusive assessment tools, and an enlarged toolkit of spiritual care interventions. Because professional chaplains are often socialized and trained in religious settings, the spiritual care of nonreligious persons requires intentional cultural humility.