Religion in Uniform: A Critique of US Military Chaplaincy

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Religion in Uniform argues powerfully that Americans must reform their militarys chaplaincy. Americans fund this public project to serve all persons in the armed forces, but the chaplaincy currently fails to do so. Waggoner shows that Americans support for keeping chaplain positions in the military has always rested on a mix of political, military, and religious rationales that continue to evolve. He argues political, military, and theological reasons to eradicate bias, gender discrimination and sexual violence in the chaplain corps and to stop the use of chaplains in strategic roles abroad. Acknowledging that Christian groups are providing the strongest support for the chaplaincys status quo, Waggoner contests the specific theological claims that underwrite their policies. He launches a new, critical and constructive discussion about US military religion for the twenty-first century.

Reviews

The most controversial issue in the US military chaplaincy today is the refusal of so many chaplains to serve LGBT service members. Edward Waggoner argues effectively that this is legally, militarily, and religiously unacceptable. Anyone who is serious about issues of gender and sexuality, religious diversity, and power in the military chaplaincy will need to consider Waggoners arguments. This is a thoroughly documented, scholarly compendium on US military chaplaincy, past and present. A must-read for students, scholars, chaplains, and advocates for religious ministry in the military. -- Paul W. Dodd, Chaplain (Colonel), U.S. Army (Retired)
A work of political theology, Ed Waggoners book is a wake-up call to American Christians, imploring us to rethink the rationale for military chaplaincy as it is presently operating in the United States. While the wars of the 20th century prompted extensive theological reflections from Americas leading theologians, Waggoner breaks the current silence by highlighting the complex 21st century roles that chaplains are playing in the most pressing legal and political issues of our day: religious diversity, policies on gender and sexuality, and religion and global politics. Crisp in style, provocative in tone, and ambitious in scope, Religion in Uniform cuts to the core of Christian teachings and examines our collective conscience. -- Shelly Rambo, Boston University School of Theology
The work of chaplains in the United States military affects lives around the world in ways that are unknown to most of us, supporters and critics alike. The multiple conversations begun in this book, engaging historical developments including recent expansions of military chaplaincies in service of full-spectrum dominance, provide first steps toward much-needed transformation. -- Joerg Rieger, Distinguished Professor of Theology, Vanderbilt University
This ground-breaking work is a wake-up call to the American public. It offers us deep research and nuanced suggestions for a major overhaul of military chaplaincy so that we can guard the religious freedom of all who serve, offer spiritual care to increasingly diverse generations who enlist, and resist the exploitation of religion as an instrument of the military goal of full-spectrum global dominance. -- Rita Nakashima Brock, co-author of Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury After War, director of the Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America

Author Bio

Edward Waggoner is assistant professor of theology and the Rt. Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Chair in episcopal studies at Brite Divinity School and is co-editor of Religious Experience and New Materialism: Movement Matters.