Integration of Faith and Profession
Abstract
Faith and the human spirit are important elements in the profession of arms and worthy of any strategic leader's attention and study. Spiritual readiness, unlike physical or mental readiness, is often ignored for fear of First Amendment violations. America's founding fathers intended to prevent the government from establishing any single denomination or religion, but never intended the absence of religious activity from individuals who serve in government to include the military. In fact, the government is compelled to provide military members the opportunity to free exercise of their religion. This mandate is facilitated by the chaplain core as upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in the 1985 case Katcoff v. Marsh. The ultimate responsibility for spiritual readiness rests with the commander regardless of personal faith. The commander possessing strong personal faith must seamlessly integrate faith and profession in order to be an authentic leader. This essay explores practical ways to integrate faith into professional life from the perspective of a senior leader.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA497530
Entities
People
- Dale A. Holland
- Lee E. Deremer
Organizations
- United States Army War College