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<p>The 2004 presidential election seemed to signal growing religious fervor across the political  spectrum. Members of the media and pollsters alike were left wondering what went on inside the voting  booth. Religion has long played a role in American politics, dating back to the Constitution of the United  States of America.  When components of government, the military, religion, and society converge, discussion and  debate invariably follows. The United States military is a religiously pluralistic institution, with members  belonging to an estimated 700 religions. The chaplaincy champions religious accommodation and the  military itself supports over 245 faith groups. The chaplaincy is at the core of this religious accommodation  since chaplains maintain a dual allegiance, as members of the clergy and as members of the officer corps.  As religious diversity grows, the likelihood of controversy increases when, for instance, Indian  members of the Native American Church take peyote, Wiccans observe pagan rites on military bases, and  Muslim chaplains serve Muslim soldiers who find themselves at war within an Islamic country. This thesis  explores some of the challenges inherent in ministering to so many diverse religions, and takes a critical  look at areas of potential friction that might cause the Department of Defense to want to take a more  attentive look at what such diversity means for the future.
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<br>Subjects: God; Christianity; Religion; Judaism; Devil; Indians of North America; Peyote; Islam; Homosexuality; Political science</div>
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Freeman, Jeffrey B.</div>
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