Research project
In Sweden, contemporary research on military chaplaincy (known as Military Soul Care in a Swedish context) is highly limited, while recent studies on military chaplains in Ukraine clearly underscore the importance of this work in wartime. War erodes the moral fibre and character of military personnel, and one of the field chaplains’ most central tasks is to work tirelessly to uphold the moral compass and character. Existential, moral, and religious questions intensify in the context of war. The constant presence of death renders both rituals and the dignified handling of the dead and their families profoundly significant.
This – along with much else – has sparked the interest of many armed forces in military chaplaincy, as well as that of NATO, which has recently launched a research group (Research Task Group 408) dedicated to this topic. There is therefore a strong need to better understand military chaplaincy from a contemporary perspective, not only in Sweden but also in other countries and defence organisations.
The Swedish Armed Forces have issued a long-term strategic commission for research on military chaplaincy, building on a project carried out from 2023 to 2025, and consisting of annual work packages of particular relevance to military chaplaincy.
The project encompasses qualitative surveys, interviews, field studies, theoretical and methodological development, as well as knowledge acquisition from and participation in NATO research groups within relevant areas.
The areas to be researched during the period 2026–2031 within the framework of military chaplaincy are:
