The Rev. Carl Aiken on cousins – one relative's view

Health Care Chaplaincy in the U.S. and Australia – The Same but Different

Australians and Americans share a significant number of values, attitudes and beliefs. Our family histories have taken us on different paths as well as familiar ones.

Europeans settled in each country for significantly different reasons. The American experience was largely one of hope, promise and adventure in a new land, a place where different expressions of the Christian faith could be practised without interference. A sense of vision and being part of a divine plan was paramount.[1] In contrast, the Australian experience was of a penal colony in a strange and inhospitable land.[2] People were deported from Britain for crimes such as stealing a loaf of bread.

In terms of faith, the American forebears proclaimed ‘a new Zion.’ The Australian experience was of the first clergyman also being the first judge. It was a vision of liberty versus a history of harsh punishment. These different births led the American colony to a war of independence and the Australian colony to a battle of survival in a harsh land.

The result is significant differences in Australian and American culture. A general consensus of these differences would be:

My perception of America is of a welcoming, hospitable and caring people. I have been personally overwhelmed by the willingness of chaplains to share their time, resources and wisdom with me. Chaplains in the U.S. are at the forefront of advocating for appropriate qualifications for chaplains and a professional chaplaincy service. This is in part due to economies of scale that is possible in a country the size of the U.S. as well as to an ingrained value. Chaplains in Australia usually come from a parish background with skills and abilities being the key criteria.

The Australian secular experience means that chaplains’ primary focus is on pastoral care. Advocacy for chaplaincy is best achieved by outlining the values and benefits of Holistic practice and the provision of Spiritual and Pastoral Care. The value of the chaplain to the patients and staff is judged in terms of their acceptability as a person – relationship is a key issue. Working with and supporting staff seems to be a larger role for chaplains in Australia.

My observation in the U.S. is that chaplaincy is more religious in presentation and practice, with chaplains regularly called to pray with patients. The emphasis on spiritual assessments is a practice of many chaplains that is not as evident in Australia. A key difference is that chaplaincy in the U.S. is more organized and structured than in Australia.

Another difference is the structure of health care, with Australia having a large public hospital system and a universal medical safety net. This is due to the belief in equality and that all members of the community should be cared for.

The similarities are in a commitment to excellence and professional care, the variations are in our cultural norms that we often overlook. George Bernard Shaw observed that “England and America are divided by a common language.” This is equally true of the gap between Australians and Americans. Our core values and goals are very similar; the nuances of our practice are where the difference occurs.

I have been very fortunate to have received the hospitality, wisdom and insights from a large number of U.S. Chaplains from health care and the military both personally and through the pastoral care email community. I am indebted to their generosity of spirit.

[1] Martin L. Cook, US Airforce Academy in a lecture at the ADF Chaplain’s College quoting from Conrad Cherry, God’s New Israel, and Robert Bellah, American Civil Religion

[2] Manning Clark, A History of Australia, Vol 1.

His passions are FJ Holden cars, playing in his workshop and the Port Adelaide Power Football Club!

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