Prepared by the Office of the Chief of Chaplains, United States Army, this handbook provides a useful guide to the beliefs and practices of a number of religious groups. It provides a useful reference, both for professionals such as airport and hospital chaplains, and for lay readers interested in a basic guide to religious groups not readily covered in other references. A specific purpose of the handbook was also to limit the amount of information provided on each group. Thus, while the information is accurate (in most instances approved by authorities from the individual groups themselves), it is by no means comprehensive. The material presented in the handbook was derived through an extensive research effort. The handbook includes 37 different group descriptions, divided into seven categories. The categories are: Christian Heritage Groups Japanese Heritage Groups Jewish Groups Indian Heritage Groups Islamic Groups Sikh Groups Other Groups Among the uniform topics covered for each group are: historical roots, origins in the U.S., number of adherents in the U.S., organizational structure, leadership and role of priesthood, who may conduct worship services, is group worship required, dietary laws or restrictions, special religious holidays, funeral and burial requirements, autopsy, cremation, medical treatment, is a priest required at the time of death, basic teachings or beliefs, and ethical practices.

On the Sabbath, calling women to the Torah, and counting them in the minyan.

Religion in Uniform argues powerfully that Americans must reform their military’s chaplaincy. Americans fund this public project to serve all persons in the armed forces, but the chaplaincy currently fails to do so. Waggoner shows that Americans’ support for keeping chaplain positions in the military has always rested on a mix of political, military, and religious rationales that continue to evolve. He argues political, military, and theological reasons to eradicate bias, gender discrimination and sexual violence in the chaplain corps and to stop the use of chaplains in strategic roles abroad. Acknowledging that Christian groups are providing the strongest support for the chaplaincy’s status quo, Waggoner contests the specific theological claims that underwrite their policies. He launches a new, critical and constructive discussion about US military religion for the twenty-first century.