At Peace with War

Description: Although the moral and ethical dimensions of NATO presence in Afghanistan has been the focus of debate by politicians and media alike questions of the religious culture and spirituality that underlie the complexities of both the conflict and convictions of those affected have rarely been discussed. The entries of this thought-provoking journal offer a unique window into this strange and unpredictable war-torn realm from the perspective of a Christian army chaplain who has experienced the terrors of war from the foxhole. This diary represents the brutally honest yet deeply spiritual reflections and questions of a Lutheran clergyman whose aim is not to justify but to record the life of faith. Join Padre Ristau in a journey marked by episodes of wonder and struggle celebration and hardship and come away . . . changed. True stories: some inspiring; some frightening. Yet none of them remain unfamiliar to the Divine. Endorsements: At Peace with War is one of the most thoughtful authentic frank and honest accounts of what it means to be a chaplain in a theatre of operations in the twenty-first century. You will find that Captain Ristau pulls no punches and that he calls them as he sees them . . . This book is a must-read for those contemplating a career as a military chaplain; for those serving chaplains who are looking for an invaluable means of preparing themselves for ministry in a theatre of operations; for those looking to gain a better appreciation of Afghan culture; or simply for those interested in discovering what the military chaplain can bring to the fight. --Brigadier General David C. Kettle CMM CD DD Chaplain General of the Canadian Forces Retired Chaplain Harold Ristaus At Peace with War reveals the very human struggles of the chaplains high calling in the midst of uncertainty danger brutal conditions and the reality of injuries wounds and deaths. This is a must-read for any military member or their families to help them come to grips with the spiritual challenges of wartime military service. --LtCol Carl H. Krueger Jr. President SELC (Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches) District LCMS U. S. Military Retired Christian people and their pastors can learn here about how tenets of the faith are not just ideas on paper but actually leap to life when seen through the lens of fear boredom separation from loved ones and the ever-present threat of death . . . If youre looking for systematic theology or an author claiming to be a hero youve come to the wrong place with this book. But if you want to meet a workaday chaplain showing how faith and soldering can walk together I recommend At Peace with War very highly indeed. --Robert Bugbee President Lutheran Church-Canada About the Contributor(s): Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau (PhD McGill University) Lutheran Pastor Reformation scholar and author of Understanding Martin Luthers Demonological Rhetoric in His Treatise Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525) became a chaplain of the Canadian Forces after several years of cross-cultural ministry in the urban settings of Montréal and Toronto in which his work amongst Asian refugees and immigrants triggered a desire to serve both his country and his Church overseas.