A Taxonomic Approach to Introducing Spiritual Care in Healthcare Settings

When chaplains introduce spirituality to medical professionals, a common approach is to contrast it with religion, rather than extensively elaborating on the conceptual nuances of spirituality as it is specifically used in healthcare settings. This oversimplification may not capture the full complexity of patients’ experiences of connectedness with self, others, nature, or the sacred. In this paper, I propose a taxonomy of individual spirituality that moves beyond dichotomous thinking, offering a framework for understanding spirituality as a dynamic, multifaceted aspect of human life. This taxonomy identifies three key dimensions: prescriptive and descriptive characteristics, communal and individual practices, and vertical and horizontal transcendence. Each dimension functions as a spectrum, allowing chaplains to assess and address the unique spiritual needs of patients based on their lived experiences during health crises.