Leadership and Capacity Building in the British Muslim Community: the case of 'Muslim Chaplains'

In recent years, a number of critical questions have been asked about the professional religious leadership of the Muslim community in Britain. As well as being the subject of public and popular debate, it is a topic that is also starting to be explored among academics. However, very little research has been done on the emergence of a new kind of distinctive Muslim religious professional in Britain, namely, Muslim chaplains.

A number of public institutions in Britain, such as prisons and hospitals, now employ Muslim chaplains (both male and female) to deliver the pastoral care needs of Muslim prisoners and patients. Given their acquired understanding of public life and institutions, their need to work as part of multi-faith teams, and their need to deploy skills of counselling and care with a cross-section of sometimes very vulnerable people, they are being regarded by some as role-models for the kind of professional religious leadership sought across the Muslim community more widely.

Working in a close collaborative partnership with Markfield Institute of Higher Education in Leicester (MIHE), an Islamic college providing the only certified qualification in Muslim chaplaincy, this project seeks to find out more about four aspects of Muslim chaplaincy. Firstly, we want to find out more about who decides to become a Muslim chaplain, and why? What kind of prior training and experience do chaplains bring to their role? What is the career trajectory of Muslim chaplains? Secondly, we are seeking to establish what is actually involved in the work of a Muslim chaplain. What is said and done, when, where, and how, during Muslim chaplaincy practice? Thirdly, the research intends to find out how the emergence of Muslim chaplaincy has been shaped by prevailing institutional structures and power dynamics. How have Muslim chaplains navigated their way through the politics and structures that shape their work? Fourthly, through consultation with the users of Muslim chaplaincy, the research will investigate the impact of chaplaincy practice.

These questions will be explored through qualitative research methods, especially interviews, ethnographic observation, and focus groups.

In the first year of the project, the research team will conduct interviews with past and present students of the MIHE course, as well as with serving Muslim chaplains from a range of sectors (health, military, prison, education). The first year will also involve a detailed review of relevant literature and a critique of the syllabus and learning materials provided to MIHE students.

In the second year of the study, the researchers will conduct follow-up observation of Muslim chaplains, as they actually conduct their chaplaincy work. Interviews will also be conducted with stakeholders and observers of Muslim chaplaincy development, such as members of the Association of Muslim Chaplains, and with users of Muslim chaplaincy.

The data will be analysed by all members of the research team, who combine sociological, theological, educational, and pastoral skills and expertise.

Significance and impact:
This interdisciplinary and innovative research will chart the emergence of a new religious discourse and practice in Britain. It will increase our understanding of the sociology of Muslim religious professionalism by asking questions about the recruitment, training and education, and deployment of Muslim chaplains. Furthermore, by examining the texts, rituals and Islamic traditions that underpin Muslim chaplaincy, the project will for the first time begin to chart the educational and theological underpinnings of Muslim chaplaincy.

As an outcome of the study, there will be informed dialogue about Muslim religious training and professionalism in Britain, which reflects both stakeholder and academic perspectives. The research will also contribute to international discussions about Muslim involvement in chaplaincy, especially in the USA.