Sword of the Lord : Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Centruy

The Sword of the Lord explores the development of the military chaplaincy across history and geography and shows the legacy of these devoted men.

From the first to the twenty-first century, from Europe to North America, the military chaplaincy has existed in a recognizable form for more than 1,600 years. The Sword of the Lord analyzes specific historical moments in the development of the chaplaincy, beginning in antiquity and progressing through the Crusades, the English Civil War, the American Civil War, both World Wars, and the Vietnam War. The book also includes vivid accounts by two former chaplains―an American rabbi who served in World War II and an American Catholic priest who served in Vietnam. This remarkable work treats with care and sensitivity a fascinating and important topic, serving as a record of these men’s lives as well as raising important questions about morality and faith in the face of war.

Doris L. Bergen is the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto. She is the author of Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich (1996); War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust (2003), and editor of Lessons and Legacies VIII (2008).