CIL advisor publishes in The Conversation
From Ronit Y. Stahl, Assistant Professor of History at the University of California at Berkeley and an advisor to the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab at The Conversation:
How the US military has embraced growing religious diversity
American military chaplains predate the founding of the republic. The Continental Congress, which served as the government for 13 American colonies, authorized military chaplains to minister to soldiers in 1775. The armed forces have employed clergy ever since.
It was not until the early 20th century, however, that the chaplain corps professionalized and became fully integrated into the military’s organizational structure. At the same time, the variety of religions represented in the corps increased significantly.