Sanctuary Hospice

Name: Sanctuary Hospice
Price: 13.95 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9798233993220

A Practical Study of Disparity and Diversity

Jeff Hood

$13.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

New Theology School Press
08 March 2026

Christianity; Christian theology; Violence in society; Social discrimination; Industrial relations & safety

A raw, unflinching ethical investigation into covert racism in end-of-life care.

In 2011-2012, Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood, then a doctoral student and chaplain-in-training, conducted an in-depth practicum at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo, Mississippi-a nonprofit facility founded on Christian compassion and a mission to serve all, regardless of ability to pay. What began as a study of racial disparity quickly exposed a deeper, more insidious reality: a white-dominated environment riddled with cultural incompetence, racially insensitive language, and systemic barriers that marginalized Black patients, families, and staff.

Through anonymous surveys (where 50% of employees admitted the hospice was not a racially sensitive workplace), focus groups, and candid personal interviews, Hood documented disturbing patterns: casual use of slurs like ""colored"" and the N-word, resistance to minority outreach, marketing geared almost exclusively toward white communities, and a lack of diverse leadership and cultural awareness. Black employees described feeling unheard and unsafe, while statistics revealed stark underrepresentation-only 11% of patients were Black in a region where the population was nearly 37% Black.

Blending bioethics training from Creighton University, theological reflection, and on-the-ground activism, Hood proposes concrete solutions: mandatory cultural competency training to eradicate insensitive language and practices, and the creation of a dedicated minority outreach director to build trust, expand marketing, and recruit diverse board members and patients.

Though written nearly a decade ago (with data from 2011-2012), Hood notes in his 2020 foreword that the issues remain painfully relevant. His views have since radicalized, calling for even stronger accountability-but this foundational report stands as a prophetic challenge to hospices, healthcare institutions, and society: racism does not spare the dying. It is our moral imperative to confront and eradicate it.

By: Jeff Hood
Imprint: New Theology School Press
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 5mm
Weight: 95g
ISBN: 9798233993220
Pages: 74
Publication Date: 08 March 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood is a Catholic Priest (Old Catholic) and nationally recognized theologian and spiritual advisor to death row inmates nationwide. He has accompanied eleven men to their executions, including the first and eighth nitrogen hypoxia executions. Widely regarded as the leading spiritual voice on the death penalty, his work has been profiled in outlets ranging from the New York Times to a Rolling Stone documentary, The Spiritual Advisor. For his service and scholarship, he was nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Hood holds degrees from Auburn University (BA), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv), Emory University's Candler School of Theology (ThM), the University of Alabama (MA), Creighton University (MS), Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University (DMin), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the American Institute of Metaphysics. His primary interest has always been the power of spirituality to bring about liberation. Ordained to ministry in 2006, Dr. Hood was incardinated into the priesthood of the Old Catholic Church in 2022. The author of over 100 books - including The Courage to Be Queer, named one of the best religion books of 2016 at the Independent Publishers Book Awards - he regularly partners with men on death row to co-produce original works of theology. On July 7, 2016, Dr. Hood organized and led a Dallas rally against police brutality that ended in the shooting deaths of five police officers. He saved lives by using the cross he was carrying to force people away from the gunfire. The Dallas Public Library honored his role in that event and his wider work by opening the Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood Collection in its archives. In January 2024, Dr. Hood became the first spiritual advisor present in an execution chamber for a nitrogen hypoxia execution. Amid the international media attention that followed, he kept the memory of Kenneth Smith at the center of the story while demanding that such an execution never be repeated. No other spiritual advisor in the country has been present in the execution chamber for as many executions. Believing that traditional theological education is increasingly inadequate, Dr. Hood founded The New Theology School, where he serves as Dean and as the Rev. Charles Moore Professor of Prophetic Theology. With many arrests and assaults, he is not afraid to give his body to the struggle for justice.