One to serve them all. The growth of chaplaincy in public institutions in Denmark

Abstract

The number of Lutheran chaplains in Danish public institutions (hospitals, prisons, the military) has grown substantially in the last few decades. This article presents the results of a recent study of Lutheran (Church of Denmark) chaplains. The material studied is a collection of legal documents and media, a population survey of 300 chaplains, and 34 qualitative interviews. On the basis of this comprehensive body of data, we argue that even in a country as secular as Denmark there are numerous interactions between the religious and the secular, and that the secular state facilitates these interactions. We also argue that the secular public institutions actively reshape the religious landscape because they require a certain kind of religious specialist that focuses on helping patients, prison inmates, and soldiers to cope with hardship and existential issues.