WHAT IS THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN THE MODERN MILITARY?

The shadow of the First Amendment certainly hovers over the chaplaincy... . Religion has long played an important role in sustaining soldier morale, especially in the front lines of war. But, over the past century many questions have surfaced over how religion is institutionalized in the armed forces. Is the existence of a chaplaincy a violation of the U.S. Constitution? What can or should chaplains do or not do? Which religions, faiths, or belief systems are or should be included? These and many other questions are addressed in this conversation between Dr. Ronit Stahl, author of Enlisting Faith: How the Military Chaplaincy Shaped Religion and State in Modern America and U.S. Army War College Professor of Strategy Jacqueline E. Whitt. Ronit Stahl is a Fellow in the Department of Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania and incoming Assistant Professor of History at UC-Berkeley. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo: Close-up of "The Four Chaplains" stained glass window located in the Army War College Chapel, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The window commemorates the heroic actions of four military chaplains on board the U.S.A.T. Dorchester in World War II after being torpedoed by a German submarine in the north Atlantic. Read more about the four chaplains here. Photo Credit: U.S. Army War College photo