Disaster Spiritual Care, 2nd Edition: Practical Clergy Responses to Community, Regional and National Tragedy

The first comprehensive resource for pastoral care in the face of disaster―a vital resource for clergy, seminarians, pastoral counselors and caregivers of all faith traditions. Updated and expanded!This essential resource for clergy and caregivers integrates the classic foundations of pastoral care with the unique challenges of disaster response on community, regional and national levels.

Offering the latest theological perspectives and tools―along with basic theory and skills from the best disaster response texts, research and concepts―the contributors to this resource are innovators in their fields and represent Christianity, Judaism, Islam and more.

The Structure of This BookThe second edition of this book is divided into three sections. The first is focused on National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) and their seminal disaster spiritual care documents; the second section is chronological; the third focuses on a variety of issues that are not time related. Chapters in the second and third sections are written by a cross section of leaders in this developing eld who come from a wide range of religions and cultures.
The first section focuses on the two key NVOAD documents created after the first edition of this book. These documents have become both the starting point and the key guiding reference source for all disaster spiritual care responses. They have become the core of what is expected from both individuals and organizations that provide disaster spiritual care.
The second section focuses on disasters as they unfold. The size of a disaster serves as a variable as to the scope of issues that will confront you. We have devoted more than one chapter to some time periods in order to address the needs of you and your faith community for local, regional, and national disasters. We also recognize the multiyear impact of disasters and have developed this book with the intent that it be a resource you can reference over a long period of time or at a single time of urgent need.

The third section of the book focuses on issues you will face throughout the course of a disaster that will not arise on a set timeline. These topics range from compassion fatigue to how best to pro-vide spiritual care at different stages of human development, recover-ing bodies in the eld and working in a morgue environment, and working with and providing spiritual care to first responders.