3 June 2025 13h30-14h00
Julien Decharneux (SCGW)
This webinar will explore the evolving landscape of spiritual-existential care in the Belgian Armed Forces, focusing on both the reform of military chaplaincies and the development of tools to assess Spiritual Fitness, all within a broader NATO and research-driven framework.
In the first part, we will present the ongoing reform of the Belgian military chaplaincies, aimed at making them more interoperable, more interdenominational, and more interprofessional—promoting dialogue and collaboration among various well-being actors within Defence. These changes are designed to meet current and future challenges at both the national and NATO levels. The reform is supported by two complementary doctoral research projects: one defines spiritual and existential needs and revises the role of chaplaincies; the other offers a socio-historical and theoretical reconstruction of Belgian military chaplaincies from 1914 to 2014. These research efforts also inform the revision of the legal framework governing chaplaincies in Belgium. Additionally, the reform is integrated into the Defence’s broader well-being policy through the Total Force Fitness model, where Spiritual Fitness plays a key role in strengthening resilience at individual, collective, and institutional levels.
The second part highlights the Spiritual Existential Care project, which aims to develop reliable tools to assess Spiritual Fitness and spiritual performance in military contexts. Based on a systematic literature review, key indicators we be identified within the context of the SpEx Care 1 project over the coming years and evaluated through a Delphi study involving Defence experts and frontline practitioners. The final phase will test the applicability of the developed tool in operational settings.
This initiative is part of a growing body of research within the NATO Science and Technology Organization, which includes several ongoing projects and working groups focused on spirituality, military chaplaincy, and spiritual fitness. The webinar will conclude with a preview of an international expert workshop on Spiritual Fitness and Military Spiritual Health, scheduled for October in Sweden, as part of these NATO STO research efforts.
Teams link will be communicated soon.