Early History of Chaplaincy
LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
“EARLY HISTORY OF THE CHAPLAINCY”
A PAPER
SUBMITTED TO DR. KEITH
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR CHLP 500 (B03)
DEPARTMENT OF CHAPLAIN MINISTRY
BY
REGGIE D. RICHARDSON 123228
05/18/2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………2
EMPERORS, PRIESTS, AND BISHOPS …......……...….……………… 2
THE LITURGY OF WAR FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE CRUSADE…. 3
CONCULSION…………………………………………………………….4
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………….................5
INTRODUCTION
Chaplaincy has had many forms especially early on in its infancy stages, but the idea of building morale of the troops through spiritual encouragement has always remained true. Doris L. Bergen’s book The Sword of the Lord, eloquently crafts the early time period of military chaplains from the Roman imperial period from 27 BC to AD 500. It is important to note that religion was a severe matter for the soldiers of the Roman army, and the fact remained that there was not a separation between church and state during that time period. “As pontifer maximus, or chief priest, the emperor had supreme responsibility for maintaining the pax deorum (peace of the gods) and ensuring that the gods who oversaw the welfare of the state continued to do so.” Regardless of what our individual belief is concerning God and religion we can understand why this would be important to the army being the most prominent organization in Rome at the time. This would appear to be the beginning of the chaplaincy position. There arose a strong need for having military personnel conducting religious ceremonies and
“EARLY HISTORY OF THE CHAPLAINCY”
A PAPER
SUBMITTED TO DR. KEITH
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR CHLP 500 (B03)
DEPARTMENT OF CHAPLAIN MINISTRY
BY
REGGIE D. RICHARDSON 123228
05/18/2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………2
EMPERORS, PRIESTS, AND BISHOPS …......……...….……………… 2
THE LITURGY OF WAR FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE CRUSADE…. 3
CONCULSION…………………………………………………………….4
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………….................5
INTRODUCTION
Chaplaincy has had many forms especially early on in its infancy stages, but the idea of building morale of the troops through spiritual encouragement has always remained true. Doris L. Bergen’s book The Sword of the Lord, eloquently crafts the early time period of military chaplains from the Roman imperial period from 27 BC to AD 500. It is important to note that religion was a severe matter for the soldiers of the Roman army, and the fact remained that there was not a separation between church and state during that time period. “As pontifer maximus, or chief priest, the emperor had supreme responsibility for maintaining the pax deorum (peace of the gods) and ensuring that the gods who oversaw the welfare of the state continued to do so.” Regardless of what our individual belief is concerning God and religion we can understand why this would be important to the army being the most prominent organization in Rome at the time. This would appear to be the beginning of the chaplaincy position. There arose a strong need for having military personnel conducting religious ceremonies and
Bibliography: Bergen, Doris, L., The Sword of the Lord: Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Century, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2004. Eusebius, Life of Constantine (Vita Constantini), Bieber Publishing. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. Bergen, Doris, L., The Sword of the Lord: Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Century, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2004, 29-30. [ 2 ]. Eusebius, Life of Constantine (Vita Constantini), Bieber Publishing, 25. [ 3 ]. Bergen, Doris, L., The Sword of the Lord, 48. [ 4 ]. Ibid., 53. [ 5 ]. Ibid., 53.