Men of God, Men of War
Military Chaplains as Ministers, Warriors, and Prisoners
- Subject: Spring 2024 Catalog | General Military & Naval History | Society of Military History Conference
- Format:
Hardcover
- Pages:
232pages
- Published:
March 15, 2024
- ISBN-10:
1682474186
- ISBN-13:
9781682474181
- Product Dimensions:
9 × 6 × 1 in
- Product Weight:
31 oz
Overview
Men of God, Men of War tells the stories of chaplains who have served in America’s wars. In his exploration of military chaplaincy, author Robert Doyle poses questions about their brand of service to the United States. He examines the complexities of the chaplains’ vocation—the types of services they performed, the roles they assumed in combat and as prisoners of war, and how they interacted with the military personnel they served and supported. Doyle explores the high price many paid for their commitment to their unique type of service.
Doyle illuminates the histories of chaplains who did their duty selflessly to God, to their country, to the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen with whom they found themselves in very dire circumstances over the past three hundred years. Chaplains throughout American history have served bravely and selflessly at home and in the field, both under fire and “behind the wire.” Chaplains served as sources of motivation, inspiration, and peace for military personnel in times of hardship, especially in captivity. Doyle illustrates that while they are now treated as non-combatants, chaplains’ vital role as leaders cannot be underestimated or understated.
Men of God, Men of War examines how chaplains performed under fire in hostile environments, beginning with the Revolutionary War through the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. The chaplains of the Revolution were patriots first, soldiers second, and men of God third. From the Civil War to modern times, these men gave hope to the hopeless, absolution to those soldiers who stood before their Maker before battles, and faith in themselves and their comrades so necessary for men in combat. Doyle’s research shows that military chaplains have always remained necessary to men at war, even in a modern secular military.
Doyle illuminates the histories of chaplains who did their duty selflessly to God, to their country, to the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen with whom they found themselves in very dire circumstances over the past three hundred years. Chaplains throughout American history have served bravely and selflessly at home and in the field, both under fire and “behind the wire.” Chaplains served as sources of motivation, inspiration, and peace for military personnel in times of hardship, especially in captivity. Doyle illustrates that while they are now treated as non-combatants, chaplains’ vital role as leaders cannot be underestimated or understated.
Men of God, Men of War examines how chaplains performed under fire in hostile environments, beginning with the Revolutionary War through the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. The chaplains of the Revolution were patriots first, soldiers second, and men of God third. From the Civil War to modern times, these men gave hope to the hopeless, absolution to those soldiers who stood before their Maker before battles, and faith in themselves and their comrades so necessary for men in combat. Doyle’s research shows that military chaplains have always remained necessary to men at war, even in a modern secular military.
About the Author
Editorial Reviews
“While I was aware of The Four Chaplains, Chaplain Robert Taylor, and Father Emil Kapaun, Men of God, Men of War highlights their colleagues who may have been known primarily only to their families. This remarkable book by Robert Doyle is one book every chaplain candidate and chaplains completing their chaplaincy basic training should have as a reference point for what might be asked of them.”—Fr. William D. Razz Waff, DMin, BCC, Major General, USA (Ret.)
"In this work, Doyle ably and succinctly covers the role of American military chaplains from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq and Afghan engagements. His sources include scholarly monographs, contemporary journals, films, web entries, and doctoral and masters theses. The author is particularly strong on the role of Roman Catholic chaplains and on those clergy interned in POW camps. In his often concise narrative, Doyle notes that during the Revolution chaplains were fighting parsons, some of whom were killed in action. In 1846, President James K. Polk sought to recruit Catholic chaplains, but some Irish American deserters actually joined the Mexican army, forming the St. Patrick's Battalion. The Civil War was awash in heroic chaplains, North and South, some of Jewish, African American, and Native American backgrounds. Doyle quickly skirts over the Spanish-American War and WW I to focus on WW II. Particularly harrowing is his account of the role chaplains played in the Philippine resistance. Turning to the Korean War, he finds POW conditions so brutal that not one chaplain survived communist internment. This is a fine introduction to an often neglected topic."—Choice
"In Men of God, Men of War, Doyle examines the role of American military chaplains from the Revolutionary War to the present, with a particular attention to those who became prisoners-of-war. Men of God, Men of War is a very useful read for anyone interested in history of the U.S. Armed forces."—Strategy Page
“Robert Doyle’s Men of God, Men of War: Military Chaplains as Ministers, Warriors, and Prisoners draws from a lifetime of his scholarly work and is a heartfelt tribute to the men who went to war to serve God and their fellow Americans in the armed services from the beginning of this country to the present day. Written in a lively fashion, with a sharp eye for compelling personal histories, Dr. Doyle’s study of the chaplaincy helps the reader encounter both the changing nature of American religion in wartime as well as the continuity of courage and faith of those who ministered to this country’s fighting men and women on the field of battle, in the air and high seas as well as in POW camps.” —Dr. T. David Curp, associate professor, Ohio University