Decolonising chaplaincy in the South African National Defence Force

Abstract

The author served as a military chaplain for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and this is where she learned that other religions are not acknowledged during morning parades. The chaplain had 5 min during the parade to read the word and pray. They make use of the Bible for these, which shows that Christianity is their religion of choice. The study is qualitative, with questionnaires used to collect data on soldiers’ perspectives to ensure that the information collected is accurate and relevant. The SANDF employs chaplains from various religious denominations, mostly from the mainline churches, to provide spiritual support to soldiers and their dependents. In recent years, there has been an upsurge in the number of Africans who practise African spirituality and respect their ancestors. When spirituality is discussed in South Africa, it is usually expected to be in reference to Christians. When they employ chaplains in the SANDF, they assess which school of thought the organisation brings as well as the basis for that choice. This would mean addressing questions such as: Is the Reformed tradition suitable for everyone? Is Pentecostalism good enough? Charismatic?
Contribution: This article contributes to scholarly debates on military chaplaincy by critically examining the extent to which chaplaincy practices within the SANDF reflect the country’s religious, cultural and spiritual diversity. Drawing on qualitative data and lived experience, the study highlights the tensions between historically inherited Christian chaplaincy frameworks and the pluralistic spiritual realities of contemporary SANDF members.