The forum is a space for conversation on important topics that are relevant to military chaplaincy. Fewer and fewer civilians have meaningful experiences with or connections to the military and there is an increasing erosion of trust and understanding between civil society and the armed forces. Military chaplains stand astride this dividing line. They embody the character and demands of both their sending religious communities and the military. They fully embody identities that are both wholly within the civil sphere and wholly within the military sphere. This potentially creates tensions, contradictions, moral dilemmas, and theological problems that exacerbate pre-existing social tensions. The unique positioning of chaplains also creates the opportunity for new possibilities. The forum for this issue focuses on this civil-military divide through a lively conversation in response to an article by Susan Bryant, Brett Swaney, and Heidi Urben, “From Citizen Solider to Secular Saint: The Societal Implications of Military Exceptionalism,” Texas National Security Review 4, no. 2 (2021): 9-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/13199. Trent Lythgoe, Katherine Voyles, and Jordan Henricks each provide thoughtful reflections on the article and responses to each other. The conversation can be accessed at the links below.
Trent Lythgoe’s reflection on “From Citizen Solider to Secular Saint”
Katherine Voyle’s response to Trent Lythgoe’s reflection
Jordan Henricks response to Trent Lythgoe’s reflection
Katherine Voyles’s reflection on “From Citizen Solider to Secular Saint”
Trent Lythgoe’s response to Katherine Voyles’s reflection
Jordan Henricks’s response to Katherine Voyles’s reflection
Jordan Henricks’s reflection on “From Citizen Solider to Secular Saint”