The Art of Chaplaincy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Professional Standards of Spiritual & Pastoral Care is both a teaching tool and a professional guide. It equips chaplains, students, and educators with the foundational skills and standards essential to providing high-quality spiritual and pastoral care in diverse settings.

Each chapter focuses on one of the 29 professional competencies required for recognition by the major Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) organizations: the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), and ACPE. Through real-world examples, concise instruction, and model essays, the book demonstrates what professional excellence looks like in practice — and how to express it with clarity and confidence in writing.

Designed for use in CPE programs, certification mentoring, and self-study, The Art of Chaplaincy bridges the gap between classroom learning and professional application. It helps chaplains translate their experiences into language that reflects clarity, competence, and compassion — the true art of professional chaplaincy.

A Textbook for Certification. A Lifelong Resource.

What's Inside

• One chapter per BCC competency, with model essays showing what proficiency looks like in writing
• Tested and refined in BCC preparation courses at ChaplainDL
• Bridges CPE training and certification — translates clinical experience into the written articulation certification requires
• Practical guidance on assessment, intervention, ethical decision-making, and professional identity
• Pluralistic and inclusive — addresses care across diverse religious, cultural, and spiritual contexts

Who This Book Is For

• Chaplains preparing for board certification
• CPE students and educators
• Hospital, hospice, military, correctional, and disaster chaplains
• Seminary faculty teaching pastoral care
• Spiritual care administrators and program directors

About the Author

Rabbi Stephen B. Roberts, DD, MBA, BCC, is a Board Certified Chaplain, educator, and author of several foundational textbooks in chaplaincy training. A past president of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains and a national disaster spiritual care leader, he founded ChaplainDL and has trained thousands of chaplains across faith traditions. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School.