Abstract
As the number of places chaplains work expands in the United States and around the globe, this chapter considers the unique role chaplains and spiritual care providers occupy as facilitators of what this volume’s editors call covenantal pluralism. Central is the idea that chaplaincy at its best embodies all the attributes of cross-cultural religious literacy (CCRL) and the ethos of covenantal pluralism and must, therefore, be central to what all chaplains learn in training. Too much conversation about chaplains today focuses on the supply of chaplains, as scholars and educators debate how chaplains should be trained, what endorsements or certifications are required, and how to continue to educate them over their careers. Going forward, the conversation needs to shift to demand. It is only from a detailed awareness of this demand that we can ensure that chaplains are trained in ways that center on the ideal of covenantal pluralism and support the change processes required in educational institutes to adopt this transformative model.
