Table Of ContentThe Clergy in KhaKi
British army chaplains have not fared well in the mythology of the First World War.
like its commanders they have often been characterized as embodiments of ineptitude
and hypocrisy. yet, just as historians have reassessed the motives and performance
of British generals, this collection offers fresh insights into the war record of British
chaplains.
Drawing on the expertise of a dozen academic researchers, the collection offers an
unprecedented analysis of the subject that embraces military, political, religious and
imperial history. The volume also benefits from the professional insights of chaplains
themselves, several of its contributors being serving or former members of the royal
army Chaplains’ Department. Providing the fullest and most objective study yet
published, it demonstrates that much of the post-war hostility towards chaplains was
driven by political, social or even denominational agendas and that their critics often
overlooked the positive contribution that chaplains made to the day-to-day struggles
of soldiers trying to cope with the appalling realities of industrial warfare and its
aftermath.
as the most complete study of the subject to date, this collection marks a major
advance in the historiography of the British army, of the British churches and of British
society during the First World War, and will appeal to researchers in a broad range of
academic disciplines.
ashgate Studies in
First World War history
Series Editor
John Bourne
University of Birmingham, UK
The First World War is a subject of perennial interest to historians and is often
regarded as a watershed event, marking the end of the nineteenth century and the
beginning of the ‘modern’ industrial world. The sheer scale of the conflict and
massive loss of life means that it is constantly being assessed and reassessed to
examine its lasting military, political, sociological, industrial, cultural and economic
impact. Reflecting the latest international scholarly research, the Ashgate Studies
in First World War history series provides a unique platform for the publication of
monographs and edited volumes on all aspects of the great War. Whilst the main
thrust of the series is on the military aspects of the conflict, other related areas
(including cultural, political and social) are also addressed. Books published are
aimed primarily at a post-graduate academic audience, furthering exciting recent
interpretations of the war, whilst still being accessible enough to appeal to a wider
audience of educated lay readers.
also in this series
British Artillery on the Western Front in the First World War
‘The Infantry cannot do with a gun less’
Sanders Marble
Early Trench Tactics in the French Army
The Second Battle of Artois, May–June 1915
Jonathan Krause
Britain, Russia and the Road to the First World War
The Fateful Embassy of Count Aleksandr Benckendorff (1903–16)
Marina Soroka
The Clergy in Khaki
new Perspectives on British army Chaplaincy
in the First World War
Edited by
MiChael SnaPe
University of Birmingham, UK
eDWarD MaDigan
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK
© Michael Snape, edward Madigan and the contributors 2013
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Michael Snape and edward Madigan have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the editors of this work.
Published by
ashgate Publishing limited ashgate Publishing Company
Wey Court east 110 Cherry Street
Union road Suite 3-1
Farnham Burlington, VT 05401-3818
Surrey, gU9 7PT USa
england
www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
The clergy in khaki : new perspectives on British army chaplaincy in the First World War.
– (ashgate studies in First World War history)
1. great Britain. army – Chaplains – history – 20th century. 2. World War, 1914–1918
Chaplains – great Britain.
i. Series ii. Snape, M. F. (Michael Francis), 1968–
iii. Madigan, edward.
940.4’78–dc23
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
The clergy in khaki : new perspectives on British army chaplaincy in the First World War
/ edited by Michael Snape and edward Madigan.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references.
iSBn 978-1-4094-3000-1 (hbk.)—iSBn 978-1-4094-3001-8 (ebook)—iSBn 978-1-
4094-7442-5 (epub) 1. World War, 1914–1918—Chaplains—great Britain. 2. great
Britain. army. Chaplain’s Dept—history. 3. Military chaplains—great Britain—history.
4. World War, 1914–1918—religious aspects. i. Snape, M.F. (Michael Francis), 1968–
ii. Madigan, edward. iii. Title: new perspectives on British army chaplaincy in the First
World War.
D639.C38C54 2013
940.4’780941—dc23
2012038193
iSBn 9781409430001 (hbk)
iSBn 9781409430018 (ebk – PDF)
iSBn 9781409474425 (ebk – ePUB)
V
In memory of Jim McMillan and Stephen Louden
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Contents
Notes on Contributors ix
Acknowledgements xiii
List of Abbreviations xv
1 Introduction: British Army Chaplaincy in Context 1
Edward Madigan and Michael Snape
2 The Nonconformist Chaplain in the First World War:
The Importance of a New Phenomenon 17
J.H. Thompson
3 Free Church Revivalism in the British Army during the
First World War 41
Neil Allison
4 A Welsh Perspective on Army Chaplaincy during the First World War:
The Letters of Abraham Rees Morgan MC 57
Ieuan Elfryn Jones
5 Garrisoning the Nation’s Soul: Calvinism, Douglas Haig and
Scottish Presbyterian Chaplaincy on the Western Front 75
David Coulter
6 The Theology of ‘Woodbine Willie’ in Context 95
Stuart Bell
7 Chaplains in Context: British Army Padres and the ‘Bureaucracy of
Paternalism’ in the First World War 111
Gary Sheffield
8 Catholic Army Chaplaincy and Episcopal Tensions: The Vatican
and the Appointment of an Episcopus Castrensis 127
James Hagerty
9 The First World War and the Chaplains of British India 143
Michael Snape
viii The Clergy in Khaki
10 Visions from the Front: Discourse on the Post-war World among
Anglican Army Chaplains in 1918 169
Peter Howson
11 ‘Shell-shocked Prophets’: Anglican Army Chaplains and Post-war
Reform in the Church of England 183
Linda Parker
12 The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department and the Legacy of the
First World War 199
Alan Robinson
Index 213
Notes on Contributors
Revd Dr Neil Allison CF is a serving army chaplain and was awarded his MPhil by
the University of Wales in 2006, his MTh in Military Chaplaincy by the University
of Wales in 2009 and his PhD by North-West University, South Africa, in 2012.
He is the official historian of the United Navy, Army and Air Force Board, and his
doctoral dissertation studied the role of United Board chaplains during the Second
World War. He has published a number of articles on the history of British army
chaplaincy and is the author of The Official History of the United Board Volume 1:
The Clash of Empires 1914–1939 (2008).
Revd Stuart Bell is a Methodist minister currently working in Nottingham. He
gained his MA in Theological and Religious Studies at the University of Cambridge
in 1990 and his MTh in Applied Theology at the University of Oxford in 2007. He
is currently writing his PhD at the University of Birmingham on the influence of
the First World War on popular faith in England.
Revd Dr David Coulter CF is a senior Church of Scotland army chaplain and
is currently the Deputy Chaplain-General of the British army. A former infantry
officer, he was awarded his PhD by the University of Edinburgh in 1997, his
dissertation focusing on Church of Scotland army chaplains in the Second World
War.
Dr James Hagerty KSG is a retired headteacher and was awarded his PhD by
the University of Leeds in 1983. He has published extensively on Catholic history
and on Catholic military chaplaincy, his publications including Cardinal Hinsley:
Priest and Patriot (2008) and, with Tom Johnstone, The Cross on the Sword:
Catholic Chaplains in the Forces (1996).
Revd Dr Peter Howson became Superintendent of the Inverness Circuit of the
Methodist Church of Great Britain after retiring from service as an army chaplain.
He was awarded his PhD by the University of Aberdeen in 2006. He has made
regular contributions to the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research,
including articles examining the casualties suffered by British army chaplains in
both world wars.
