Chaplaincy in contention

This chapter introduces the book in which it appears. It sets the consideration of the moral role of military chaplaincy in the context of military operations in Afghanistan, highlighting both the moral courage necessary for effective chaplaincy and the constraints under which chaplains operate. It introduces other key themes for the book, including: the relationship between morale and morality; the effect off international law on the chaplain's role; the interaction between counter-insurgency, terrorism and religion; the moral challenge of the use of drones; the history of church involvement in the governance of military chaplaincy; the moral significance of the ritual and liturgical role of chaplains; the relocation of just war thinking within the theology; and the relationship between the moral role of chaplains, the churches' understanding of mission and the mission of the armed services