The changing shape of support in the work of port chaplains

Abstract

This article draws on historical and ethnographic data from port chaplains working with the Mission to Seamen/Seafarers in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 2010s to chart a shift in the shape of that work. Relationships with seafarers are at the core of the work in both decades. This work is described through individual support for seafarers, work around death, support for community-building, and religious gatherings and events. While there is evidence for each of these components of the work in each decade, there is a clear shift in the shape of pastoral or caring work, which became more individualized and practically oriented over time. This shift likely results from automation and shorter turnaround times for vessels, as well as changes in the spiritual and religious identities of seafarers and port chaplains.