Corporate Chaplaincy and the American Workplace

Corporate chaplains are religious ministers trained in pastoral care, most often clinical pastoral education, paid by a company or staffing agency to serve the emotional and spiritual needs of workers at their jobsite. In the early 21st century, the secular vocation of corporate chaplaincy is a growing business and a booming enterprise. This essay traces the historical development of corporate chaplaincy from its earlier industrial forms and argues that corporate chaplains have influenced the development of the American workplace through their organizational mediation of spiritual meaning and economic productivity.