This book reports on a theoretical and empirical study of spiritual care as a profession in health care, particularly from the angle of quality care. Theoretically the central issues in spiritual care are analysed: quality care, medicalisation and contingency as its limit, the function of worldviews in health care, personal identity, legitimacy and position in health care, goals and tasks of the profession. Specific attention is spent to the determinants of the goals in the interaction with patients. Empirically the attitudes of Dutch spiritual caregivers towards these issues are...