Hospital Chaplaincy Across Denominational, Cultural and Religious Borders: Observations from the German Context

The essay investigates the possibilities and limitations ofcross-denominational, intercultural and inter-religious hospitalchaplaincy. With a view to the actual situation of hospitalchaplaincy in Germany and the economic, social and theologicalconstraints under which it offers its services, the author concludes,that the different Christian denominations must organizationallycooperate and share their work if such services are to survivethe growing pressures. Constructivist cognition theory is invokedfor analyzing the hermeneutical and theological implicationsof inter-denominational, intercultural and inter-religious pastoralcare and counselling. A Lutheran interpretation of the Trinitariandogma provides a foundational frame of reference.