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Religion in Uniform argues powerfully that Americans must reform their military's 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 chaplaincy's 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.
List of contents
Introduction US Military Religion
Chapter 1 Why the US Military Has Religion
Chapter 2 Religious and Moral Diversity
Chapter 3 Gender, Sexuality, and Religious Liberty
Chapter 4 Religious for Allies, Hosts, and the World
Chapter 5 A Theological Critique of US Military Religion
Conclusion Toward a Better Future
Bibliography
About the Author
About the author
By Edward Waggoner
Summary
The first scholarly evaluation of the contemporary US military chaplain corps, and the first to offer not only political and military but also theological analysis, Religion in Uniform shows why the military’s chaplaincy is a failing public project, and what Americans can do about it.
