The Religion and Seafarers' Welfare units are meant to help one think about seafarers and seafarers' welfare in spiritual terms. Like many seafarers' welfare organizations, it has a Christian perspective, but it is not meant to be exclusive: the point is to consider the relationship among seafarers' welfare, their religion, and ours, whatever it might be.
In this first unit, Seafaring as a Sacred Way of Life, we consider the religious aspects of welfare work in a nominally secular maritime environment. Why should religious people be involved in seafarers' welfare? Given seafarers' different attitudes to religion onboard, how can we best support them? Is religion part of welfare? What is the role of our own specific religious perspectives and sense of mission, particularly as Christians? In other words, we will consider 'maritime missiology'.
Thank you to all those who have contributed to this course - including Mario Biazon, Michelle DePooter, Peter Im, and Stephen McKinney.