Amy Lawton – The Conversation

Navy Chaplain Judy Malana sings during the funeral service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter on Nov. 29, 2023, in Plains, Ga. Photo by Alex Brandon - Pool/Getty Images

August 11, 2025

Schools are looking for chaplains, but the understanding of who – and what – chaplains are varies widely

Wendy Cadge, Bryn Mawr College and Amy Lawton, Bryn Mawr College

The term ‘chaplain’ does not have a legal definition in the US at the federal or state level.

Chaplains talk with anyone, regardless of whether or not the patient has a religious affiliation – and some chaplains themselves are not religious. Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock via Getty Images Plus

September 7, 2023

Religious leaders without religion: How humanist, atheist and spiritual‑but‑not‑religious chaplains tend to patients’ needs

Amy Lawton, Brandeis University

As more Americans step away from organized religion, so do more chaplains – but they are prepared to offer spiritual care regardless of a patient’s beliefs.

Donors’ bodies lie covered in an anatomy lab at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images

June 28, 2023

Medical students honor body donors through words, deeds and ceremonies

Amy Lawton, Brandeis University

The lessons students learn from dissecting donor bodies go beyond anatomy – and they try to pay that gift forward.

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