Ministry in austerity : how navy chaplains minister and lead in amphibious warfare

Rentz, Brady A.

Etd

Ministry in austerity : how navy chaplains minister and lead in amphibious warfare

Public Deposited

MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Rentz, Brady A. Ministry In Austerity : How Navy Chaplains Minister and Lead In Amphibious Warfare. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/63a4559d-7d96-4597-89cc-58bfbf3a23e6.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

R. B. A. Ministry in austerity : how navy chaplains minister and lead in amphibious warfare. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/63a4559d-7d96-4597-89cc-58bfbf3a23e6

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Rentz, Brady A. Ministry In Austerity : How Navy Chaplains Minister and Lead In Amphibious Warfare. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/63a4559d-7d96-4597-89cc-58bfbf3a23e6.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Rentz, Brady A.

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Abstract

For the United States Navy Chaplain Corps, four core capabilities exist; provide, facilitate, care and advise. These core capabilities have been well developed by chaplains through years of seminary, pastoral experience and the rigors of military chaplaincy. Historical literature as well as first-hand accounts examining the role of chaplains in the Pacific during WWII provide promising models for the praxis of a Navy chaplain’s ministry for a future conflict occurring in an archipelago. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand how Navy chaplains prepare and lead combatants for amphibious warfare using the experiences and insights of Navy chaplains to identify the principles, execution, challenges and assessment of ministry in amphibious warfare. The findings of this study were first that the core competencies of the Navy Chaplain Corps provided a basic model of ministry. In executing their ministry to combatants three common principles were revealed: presence, reconciliation and worship. Second, Navy chaplains possessed clear understanding of the military mission enabling them to deliver care in austere circumstances. Often this was at their own expense of spiritual, mental and physical health. Finally, Navy chaplains possessed a subjective view of leadership but each possessed a strong personal conviction to exercise ethical and moral leadership within their commands. This study provided three primary conclusions about preparing and leading combatants in amphibious warfare. First, chaplains should be oriented to the ministry models exercised by Navy chaplains in the PAC theatre of WWII. Second, further in-depth training based on the ministry models of the PAC theatre should be implemented for deploying chaplains. Third, chaplains should be adequately equipped to lead and minister in an environment inclusive of protracted trauma and death. Equipping chaplains for this environment should occur both on the personal, professional and organizational levels.

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