La normalisation de la spiritualité dans le contexte de l’humanisation du soin

Using a mixed-method approach that combines primary sources with empirical data that I have been collecting extensively among spiritual care providers since 2012, I present the conditions of the emergence of this profession in healthcare settings. As a new figure of care, spiritual healthcare offers a fertile laboratory with which to better grasp the mechanics of the fluctuating reality of contemporary spirituality. I show how the vision of (spiritual) care is normalized in healthcare settings, and I argue that the concept of spirituality draws on a conception of caring that is framed as a form of a humanism that unfolds and is realized in the encounter with and accompaniment of the Other. At the same time, this view of spirituality celebrates a contemporary version of a natural and universal representation of religion.