Military Chaplaincy

As seminarians, we must consider – what about military chaplaincy? What are the realities of the job? What are the ethical considerations of such work? Where are our loyalties? Is academic theology relevant in wartime realities – and if so, how? Are seminaries today adequately training their students to be military chaplains – or to tend pastorally to the needs of military families, veterans, and civilian victims of war?

God can be found or lost in a foxhole, but rarely does war leave someone’s faith untouched. In some ways, Benimoff’s story is common to people of all walks of life and all beliefs. It is the story of spiritual struggle—and of trying to accept a world of both good and evil, where pain and loss seem unconnected to faith and justice. Such tensions are magnified on the battlefield. Countless soldiers—not just chaplains—have struggled with how to reconcile a God of love with a God who allows the terror of conflict.

Those words come from a recent Newsweek article from 7 May 2007, which follows the story of one army chaplain Roger Benimoff. What are your thoughts?