What role does religion play in the Canadian Forces today? Examining the changing functions of the official religious leaders in the chaplaincy as well as the place and purpose of religion in the lives of regular military personnel, Religion in the Ranks explores this question in the context of late modernity and the Canadian secular state.
In-depth interviews with chaplains and with personnel of differing spiritual beliefs offer insight into how religion affects the real life experiences of those who have endured difficult assignments, witnessed atrocities, and struggled to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder. While identifying the historic function of religion in the Canadian Forces, Joanne Benham Rennick demonstrates that spiritual interests remain important, even to those who do not consider themselves to be religious. Arguing that the leadership, practices, and beliefs rooted in religious affiliations create essential support systems for individuals, both at home and on assignment, Benham Rennick shows that there is still a place for religion in Canada's military.

Joanne Benham Rennick is an assistant professor in the Department of Contemporary Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Joanne Benham Rennick's profile page

Lieutenant-General Romeo Daillaire served thirty-five years with the Canadian Armed Forces and now sits in the Canadian Senate. His Governor General's Literary Award-winning book, Shake Hands With the Devil, exposed the failures of the international community to stop the Rwandan genocide. His second book They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children, exposed the increasing use of child soldiers, as he saw first hand in Rwanda. Dallaire has received numerous honours and awards, including Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002. His activities continue to include work on genocide prevention, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the Child Soldier Initiative, which seeks to develop a conceptual base for the elimination of the use of child soldiers.

Roméo Dallaire's profile page

‘This book is of interest to anyone concerned with religious pluralism in a Canadian context…. The methodological thoroughness of Benham Rennick is commendable, particularly for a civilian studying the military, with limited access to information and the limited amount of existing research on the role of religion in the Canadian armed forces.’

Studies in Religion, vol 42:01:2013