Listening and Responding to the Signs of the Times: The Emerging and Evolving Roles of Chaplaincies in the Post-Secular Era

2019-08-02

The editors and editorial board of the Journal of Interreligious Studies invite article submissions for a special issue tentatively entitled “Listening and Responding to the Signs of the Times: The Emerging and Evolving Roles of Chaplaincies in the Post-Secular Era.” The editors are asking chaplains, scholars, students, and practitioners to convey and critically analyze what is unfolding on university campuses today regarding the new (non)religious landscape of North America.

The issue seeks manuscripts that explore and critically analyze the emerging and evolving religious, secular, and spiritual identities found on university campuses today, interacting in what is known as the post-secular era (defined below). Contributors will examine the impact of rising religious and spiritual pluralism, along with disaffiliation (“nones”), on current models of chaplaincies, which include various faith, interfaith, and secular professionals who serve in pastoral roles in higher education. What are the new paradigms of chaplaincies in higher education taking shape in the twenty-first century in response to the changing needs of students vis-à-vis the increased awareness of identities, positionalities, and intersectionality? How do priorities of diversity, equity, and inclusion fit into university chaplaincies? How have chaplaincies evolved from a predominantly Christian ministry into a multireligious and nonreligious office that supports the ethical, religious, and spiritual lives of students often attuned to issues of social justice, diversity, and “big questions” regarding meaning and purpose in life?

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