Shepherding the Sheepdog: Prophetic Imagination and Proclamation for Transformative Healing of Morally Injured Warriors

Abstract

U.S. Army chaplains serve as the commander’s principal advisor in matters of morals and morale as affected by religion within military operations. This role uniquely affords a ministerial vantage point for chaplains to ascertain the degree to which religious factors affect the moral shaping and spiritual wellness of the military community. Chaplains must therefore be prepared to navigate the potential moral ambiguity of military operations and, when necessary, proclaim a message of healing and redemption to those who experience moral injury (MI) caused by modern warfare. Is there a theological construct that can help a Christian U.S. Army chaplain conceptually and practically engage the morally injured population of his or her ranks? How can a Christian U.S. Army chaplain prophetically engage the pluralistic sensibilities of a military organization while also serving as a facilitator of hope, healing, and transformation for morally injured warriors? These are the key questions I will explicate in this Doctor of Ministry thesis.This thesis argues that war-related MI requires a theological and practical construct that responsibly interfaces with modern MI research, military leadership theory, moral theology, and biblical studies. “Shepherding the Sheepdog” is a metaphor offered throughout this thesis as a conceptual and practical pastoral paradigm for Christian military chaplains to engage MI with biblical prophetic imagination and proclamation that could enable transformative healing for morally injured warriors. Shepherding the Sheepdog considers the body of psychological and social-scientific MI research in the service of offering a theological account. Modern MI research is explored through the lens of the biblical prophetic tradition which, as it is argued throughout the thesis, empowers chaplains with several practical perspectives of the U.S. military community. The scope of this research is from the perspective of an active duty Christian U.S. Army Chaplain and offers an interdisciplinary conversation with the intent of presenting a theologically informed perspective of MI. Its three chapters progressively explore the religious implications of modern U.S. martial identity and collectively offer pastoral conceptualizations of transformative healing for morally injured warriors by integrating a case study of the recent 82nd Airborne Division deployment supporting Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) in Kabul, Afghanistan (August 2021).