THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST MILITARY CHAPLAIN: A STUDY OF BELIEFS AND FUNCTIONS IN TENSION WITH MILITARY LIFE

This thesis-project researches issues pertinent to Seventh-Day Adventist military chaplains in an effort to assist them with the feeling of ambivalence which often accompanies being accountable to the church and the military. SDA military chaplains experience tensions endemic to a ministry characterized by institutional duality, but also face pressures because they belong to a denomination which is sometimes misunderstood and negatively stereotyped.;In an effort to receive pertinent information from SDA military chaplains, research questionnaires were utilized. These were designed to ascertain how military chaplains, their civilian colleagues, and military commanders feel about war, institutional duality, and the legitimacy of the military ministry.;The data were evaluated by using nonparametric statistical methods. Some findings were: (1) SDA chaplains make few behavioral and attitudinal changes as a result of the military environment. (2) The study and devotional habits of SDA chaplains are similar to SDA civilian pastors. (3) Both SDA civilian clergy and SDA chaplains are less nationalistic than military commanders. (4) Both SDA civilian clergy and military chaplains feel the most important function of military chaplains is to help people with the hardships of military life. (5) Non-chaplain military commanders have greater confidence than SDA civilian clergy in the ability of SDA military chaplains to function constructively during war.;These findings seem to indicate that SDA chaplains, while committed to the principles of their church, may need to broaden the lines of communication with their civilian colleagues.;The major areas of conflict for SDA chaplains were explored. A study of the historical relationship of the SDA church to the military, the issue of war, and of church and state separation was undertaken. Some conclusions drawn were: (1) The SDA denomination has historically viewed the military with caution because of concern that the principle of church and state separation may be violated. (2) War in a nuclear age could be so catastrophic that the morality of such an involvement must be challenged. (3) It is not possible to have total church and state separation as long as both are concerned for the welfare of an overlapping constituency.