Transforming Chaplaincy is directly involved in cultivating new cohorts of research-literate chaplains. Two online courses will be offered in 2020.

The main goal of these courses is to build research literacy skills: reading and applying research articles to the important work chaplains do as front-line healthcare providers in religion and spirituality. The aims of these courses include enabling participants to articulate the rationale for chaplaincy as an evidence-based profession; identifying and accessing research literature related to spirituality, religion, and health; critically reading and evaluating current research related to chaplaincy practice; and identifying ways of applying research to current practice.
RL 101
Introduction to Research Literacy
5 weeks

Participants in this course will:

  • Understand what is meant by an evidence-based approach to spiritual care and why it is important

  • Receive a broad overview of existing spiritual care research

  • Learn how and why all research is not equal through an introduction to major types of research

  • Gain resources to further develop research literacy

No prerequisite

Winter Session begins Wed., January 8, 2020, concludes Wed., February 5, 2020 (LIVE session 3:00–5:00PM – CST)

Spring Session  begins Wed., March 4, 2020, concludes Wed., April 1, 2020 (LIVE session 3:00–5:00PM – CST)

Fall Session  begins Wed., September 9, 2020, concludes Wed., October 7, 2020 (LIVE session 3:00–5:00PM – CST)

Cost $300.

Early Bird Registration: $200 for participants enrolling 30 days prior to course commencement

To register for the Winter Session

To register for the Spring Session

To register for the Fall Session

RL 102*
Exploring Methods in Chaplaincy Research
10 weeks

Participants in this course will:

  • Understand major types of research and why they differ in contributing to causal inference

  • Understand types of qualitative research and their contributions

  • Understand 5 common basic statistical tests and read tables with confidence

  • Develop familiarity with a growing literature

*Prerequisite: RL 101 or Religion, Spiritual and Health: An Introduction (Transforming Chaplaincy online course taught by Virginia Commonwealth University)

Spring Session begins Wed., April 15, 2020 and concludes Wed., June 24, 2020.  While all classes are asynchronous, the instructors are maintaining a weekly assignment schedule: Apr 15, 22, 29; May 6, 20, 27 (no class May 13); June 3, 10, 17, 24

Cost $600.

Early Bird Registration: $400 for participants enrolling before March 15, 2020

To register for the Spring Session

Both courses are asynchronous, with the exception of RL 101’s final session each cycle.  Courses are taught by Transforming Chaplaincy Research Fellows, aid in BCCI required research literacy preparation, and count toward research-related CE hours. For more information contact Andrew W. Andresco