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Christian Navy Chaplains and the Challenge of Expanding Religious Pluralism

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Christian Navy Chaplains and the Challenge of Expanding Religious Pluralism Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project Concordia Seminary Scholarship 4-1-2013 Christian Navy Chaplains and the Challenge of Expanding Religious Pluralism Timothy Oswald Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Oswald, Timothy, "Christian Navy Chaplains and the Challenge of Expanding Religious Pluralism" (2013). Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project. 142. https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin/142 This Major Applied Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONCORDIA SEMINARY SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI CHRISTIAN NAVY CHAPLAINS AND THE CHALLENGE OF EXPANDING RELIGIOUS PLURALISM A MAJOR APPLIED PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF CONCORDIA SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY TIMOTHY J. OSWALD SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI APRIL 15, 2013 i Table of Contents ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................................................. vii ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. ix THE PROJECT INTRODUCED ...............................................................................................1 The Problem .........................................................................................................................2 The Purpose .........................................................................................................................8 The Process ........................................................................................................................10 Project Parameters .............................................................................................................12 Target Audiences in the Research and the Product ......................................................12 Theological Assumptions: Exclusivism .......................................................................14 Theological Assumptions: Chaplaincy ........................................................................15 THE PROJECT IN BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE .............................16 Theology of Religions........................................................................................................17 Theology of Religions and the Mission of the Church ......................................................18 Exclusivism as a Scriptural and Confessional Position .....................................................20 The Challenge of Neo-Paganism .......................................................................................24 Neo-Paganism: Introduction .........................................................................................25 Biblical Snapshot of Goddess Religion in Ancient Israel ............................................35 Church and Society ............................................................................................................39 The Two Kingdoms .....................................................................................................39 Implications of Two Kingdom Theology for Religion in Society ...............................43 Implications for the Church’s Voice toward the State .................................................46 iii THE PROJECT IN THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE ...........................................................48 The Historical Context .......................................................................................................48 Emergence of Religious Pluralism as a Perspective ....................................................48 The Chaplaincy in the United States Navy ..................................................................52 Legal Basis for Chaplaincy: Accommodation of Religion in the Military ..................................................................................................................53 Appointment of Chaplains .....................................................................................57 The Literature Review .......................................................................................................61 Inclusivism ...................................................................................................................61 Pluralism ......................................................................................................................70 Development and Views of Pluralism ...................................................................71 A Critique of Pluralism ..........................................................................................77 Pluralism’s Effects .................................................................................................80 Excursus: Religious Experience ............................................................................82 The Way Forward: Strategic Considerations for Reaching a Pluralist Society..........................................................................................................................87 The Way Forward: Practical Encounters on the Front Lines of Ministry ....................90 The Way Forward: Life and Worship ..........................................................................93 Exclusivist Rationale for Accommodation ..................................................................95 Exclusivist Approach to Accommodation ...................................................................97 Proselytizing ..............................................................................................................100 Worship ......................................................................................................................103 Prayer .........................................................................................................................103 Conclusion .................................................................................................................108 THE PROJECT DEVELOPED .............................................................................................109 The Design of the Study ...................................................................................................109 iv Research Tools and Methodology: The Survey ...............................................................110 Content of the Survey ................................................................................................110 Survey Part One: Demographics ..........................................................................111 Survey Part Two: Theology of Religions ............................................................113 Survey Part Three: Religious Facilitation ............................................................118 Survey Part Four: Facilitation Practices ..............................................................119 Survey Part Five: Feelings about Functioning in a Pluralistic Environment .........................................................................................................121 Content of the Survey: Question Development .........................................................123 Scope of the Survey ...................................................................................................125 Research In Human Subjects and Institutional Matters Related to the Survey ........................................................................................................................126 Research Tools and Methodology: The Interviews .........................................................133 Research Tools and Methodology: The Training Brief ...................................................135 Research Tools and Methodology: The Evaluation of the Training Brief .......................138 Implementation of the Project ..........................................................................................139 THE PROJECT EVALUATED ............................................................................................142 Findings of the Study .......................................................................................................143 The Survey .................................................................................................................143 The Interviews ...........................................................................................................151 The Evaluation of the Training Brief .........................................................................160 Analysis of the Study .......................................................................................................164 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................170 Contributions to Ministry ................................................................................................170 Contributions to Personal and Professional
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