Serving with Sensitivity: Understanding Different Religions in Healthcare
Transform your healthcare chaplaincy with comprehensive interfaith training.
This 10+ hour online course equips individuals with essential knowledge and practical skills to provide compassionate, culturally sensitive pastoral care to patients from diverse religious backgrounds. Through expert video instruction, real-world interviews with experts, and assessments, you'll master how to navigate health crises and end-of-life situations across Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Traditional African Religions, and New Religious Movements.
What You'll Learn:
- Core beliefs, sacred texts, and practices of major world religions
- How different faiths understand illness, healing, and death
- Practical protocols: when to call a rabbi vs. imam, respecting burial timeframes, navigating gender boundaries
- Cultural competencies for South African healthcare contexts, including religious syncretism
Course Includes:
- 5+ hours of video lectures from scholars and chaplains
- 20 quizzes (100 questions total) with explanations
- Certificate of Completion
Perfect for: Hospital chaplains, hospice spiritual care providers, seminary students, church leaders, and healthcare professionals seeking cultural competence.
Learn to serve with respect, listen with compassion, and bridge faiths in moments that matter most.
Online Delivery
This is a fully online short course delivered via Google Classroom. Study from the comfort of your home. Once you're enrolled, we'll email you an invitation to join the classroom within 2 working days. If it hasn't arrived, please check your spam folder.
Course Structure
Watch each video module. Complete the reflection exercises. Pass the quizzes to progress through the course.
Course Options
R1,100: Includes the HospiVision Certificate of Attendance.
Financial Support
Funding is available. The Diaconia bursary and the John Templeton Foundation Scholarship both cover the full R1,100 course fee.
⚠ Please note: if you are accepted for a bursary or scholarship, you must complete your selected course on Google Classroom within 6 weeks. If not, your place will be forfeited, as we have a limited number of bursaries and scholarships available.
Diaconia Bursary: You qualify if you are a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, Calvin Protestant Church, or United Reformed Church.
John Templeton Foundation Scholarship: If you are not a member of the above churches, you may apply for this scholarship.
How to apply for a bursary or scholarship:
- Complete the application form.
- Select the relevant bursary or scholarship option from the "Application type" dropdown at the top of this page and place your order, using the same email address you used on the form.
- We'll review your application and email you the outcome. If it's approved, your Google Classroom invitation will follow.
Enrolment Process
All online short courses must be purchased directly through our website.
EFT (Bank Transfer): Select "EFT" at checkout. Your course access will be activated once funds have cleared.
Refund Policy
Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds for courses not attended, but we can provide a credit note valid for 12 months. You may use it for any of our short courses or transfer it to someone else.
Placing an order for a bursary or scholarship option doesn't guarantee a place. Your enrolment is confirmed once your application has been approved.
