At the edge of war: What rapid reinforcement of European defence may mean for military chaplains

Abstract

Europe’s rapid rearmament in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine marks a significant shift away from the post–Cold War era of demilitarisation and expeditionary operations. Within this evolving security landscape, military chaplains (MCs) in NATO member and partner countries may increasingly find themselves operating on the edge of war. This reflective article asks what this new security reality may mean for military chaplaincy in Europe. Challenging reductive understandings that confine chaplaincy to religion or spiritual practice alone, the article suggests that military chaplaincy can be understood as a profession engaged with existential, moral, and human dimensions of military service. War tends to affect the human person in fundamentally existential ways, and MCs may play a distinctive role in upholding humanity, safeguarding human dignity, and supporting moral orientation in contexts marked by violence, fear, moral conflict, and psychological pressure. The analysis proceeds across four interrelated levels: socio-cultural, organisational, conceptual, and individual. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, the article explores how chaplains may engage in preventive moral work, navigate risks of dehumanisation and radicalisation, and operate within culturally embedded and nationally diverse chaplaincy systems. The article further argues that the capacity to act adequately in wartime may not originate on the battlefield alone, but can be grounded in long-term ecclesial, ethical, educational, and professional formation, as well as sustained interaction between research and practice. Finally, it suggests that effective military chaplaincy may depend on enabling organisational conditions, leadership, and institutional recognition during periods of rearmament and heightened war risk.