Tiia Liuski

My research interests focus on the competencies and development needs of Finnish military chaplaincy from the perspectives of training and profession theories. I particularly direct my attention to the pedagogical and substantive skills of today’s Finnish military chaplaincy and how these correspond to the competency needs of the Defense Forces in the 2020s. According to preliminary research findings, working as a trainer for Defense Forces personnel and conscripts requires a broad range of expertise, including areas such as psychology, ethics, pastoral care, and pedagogy. Additionally, this reflects the demands imposed by a rapidly changing and complex operational environment on the continuous updating of the competencies of this double-bonded profession (Liuski, 2023).

My interdisciplinary research orientation combines theology and military sciences. Theological expertise deepens the understanding of the questions faced by military chaplaincy, including value-based, existential, and ethical-moral perspectives. In the military pedagogical framework, the pedagogical skills and strategies of military chaplains as trainers are particularly emphasized, as well as their ability to respond to the diverse questions and needs of conscripts and Defense Forces personnel. This is closely linked to the theoretical foundations of soldiership and action compentence. Additionally, my research area is connected to classical and modern theories of ethics, existential well-being, and theoretical examinations of professions.

I am one of the founding members of the European Military Chaplaincies Research Network (EMCRN), where we plan and implement international co-publications with members of the network. I also actively participate in the Research in Chaplaincy and ExistWell networks. Furthermore, I collaborate closely with senior researcher Jan Grimell from Umeå University, focusing on the examination of military chaplaincy within a Nordic context.