Federal Chaplain Impression

[ransomr3]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

Found this on the Civil War Chaplain's Museum site regarding denominations. No records found for 732 so who knows the number of non-denominational chaplains, but they also don't list any out of the records they did have:

In the Union army
■32 Naval Chaplains
■32 Post chaplains
■178 hospital chaplains
■2138 regimental
■631 Methodist – 26.42%
■284 Presbyterian – 11.89%
■199 Baptist – 8.3%
■176 Episcopalian – 7.37%
■140 Congregational – 5.9%
■93 Roman Catholic – 3.89%
■44 Unitarian – 1.84%
■26 Dutch Reformed – 1.09%
■25 Lutheran – 1.05%
■21 Disciples of Christ – .88%
■19 Universalists – .80%
■8 Dutch Reformed – .34%
■4 African Methodist – .17%
■4 Church of Christ – .17%
■3 Brethren – .13%
■3 Jewish – .13%
■3 Quakers – .13%
■1 Christian – .04%
■1 Evangelical – .04%
■1 Moravian – .04%
■1 Religious Philosophical Society – .04%
■1 Unified Church of Christ – .04%
■727 no record found – 30.4%

[Chris Fisher]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

Okay now I am at home and in my library, here are some more books for you to browse and possibly assist in the development of your Chaplain character from a period perspective.

The American Citizen, His rights and duties according to the spirit of the Constitution of the United States. By John Henry Hopkins, D.D.,LL. D Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church Diocese of Vermont. Printed by Pudney & Russell NY 1857

Catholicity, Protestantism and Infidelity, An appeal to Candid Americans, by F.X. Weninger Missionary of the Society of Jesus. Published by P. O'Shea NY 1861.

Autobiography of Peter Cartwright Back Woods Preacher, Early founder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, published by Carlton & Porter NY 1856.

I don’t espouse the beliefs or opinions contained within these texts but they will give you a foundation to establish your "early Life" persona, as well as the evolvement of early churches, and the view the churches have on other religious institutions.
Not the end all be all by any means. If you live close to your faith's main offices perhaps a trip to their library would yield further resources.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

Hallo!

True.

Aside from modern denominations....

A "Prayer Service" with a Period sermon can be a "safer" observance without getting into "liturgical" churches versus "non-liturgical" churches with issues of how the liturgy of the standardized order of things done or said and in what ways; versus the churches where things are more free-flowing, unscripted, or even improvised. Or avoiding liturgical issues of services of sacraments or services of just prayer.

But yes, IMHO, it can be hard for some folks to portray and enact the religions of the Civil War when their modern ones conflict. Meaning, for some lads, their modern beliefs have to be universally true back to the Beginning of Time rather say an invention or development or variant line of thinking or belief that took place in 1895, or 1907, or 1924, or 1958.

Curt

[Fritz]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

I am not an ordained minister of any denomination, but along with Herr Curt's comment, got me thinking. I grew up in Yankee land and moved to a border state (Ohio to Kentucky). One thing from our period in the separation of the individual organized churchs. I grew up in the Methodist church, and 150 years ago you had your Methodist Episcopal Church North and the ME Church South. Also, oday, still have the SOUTHERN Baptist. Liturgical split, but a big split over slavery. Guess that's also something to think about at an event. Gotta keep your northern/southern religions separated.

[David Fox]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

For what it's worth, I'm off-put with pretend religious services at reenactments. Aside from their propensity to become a campy parody, the apeing of a religious service strikes me as profoundly inappropriate. Just saying. Gettysburg, of course, has in Father Corby, perhaps inspiring the only battlefield monument dedicated to a chaplain(?). And the tablet on the steps of a church a block off Gettysburg's square is both poignant and a momentary image of what one Federal chaplain wore on the hot afternoon of 1 July, 1863. this Union chaplain, you'll recall, accoutred in chaplain's sword and sash, was just exiting that improvised hospital as Rebel infantry pounded up the street. Called on to surrender (giving every appearance of being an armed enemy officer), he attempted to "Tut tut" the man. A fatal error.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

For what it's worth, I'm off-put with pretend religious services at reenactments. Aside from their propensity to become a campy parody, the apeing of a religious service strikes me as profoundly inappropriate.

One could say the same thing about pretending to die, yet it's commonly done at events more often than period religious services, sometimes as parody, sometimes seriously, sometimes without much thought about the end of someone's life at all.

I'd suggest not lumping all "pretend religious services" together, though. Some events bring out the hokiness in all aspects, but many of the services I've seen or taken part in, in my opinion, have no elements of parody nor could one tell them from a modern service, other than the fact that they're based on period concerns and include only period hymns, the King James version, etc. I've been to several where the preacher officiating was a modern-life preacher.

The problem with not having a "pretend religious service" is that one either needs to add an obviously farby element in the middle of a reenactment--a modern service--or omit a church service where it would make no sense to omit one, such as a portrayal of Sunday morning at a garrison or fixed camp or small town.

And then there's the more complicated problem with omitting all "pretend" religion... people weren't just religious on Sunday. It seems to me less respectful to portray a historic person known or believed to be religious, as if he never said grace before meals, never said prayers, or never included any reference to religion in his everyday speech, when evidence, common sense, or logic would indicate that not only did he do so, but it was an important part of his life.

And then there are the other behavioral things connected to religion. If one is omitting "pretend" religion, there would be no religious motivation for a reenactor to avoid drinking, playing cards or swearing during an event, yet I'd think it disrespectful to do those things when portraying someone who probably didn't, for religious reasons.

It's a philosophical problem in reenacting that I run into all the time, but honestly, the silliest I've felt was when my wife and I planned to attend an event where, originally, everyone was encouraged to portray their own modern religion (it was amended later to simply do a serious portrayal, probably to avoid services such as you've seen, but it was too late to change). Never have I stretched plausibility so far, as to come up with a backstory for a free-thinker married to a Mormon in the east. Unfortunately, my wife got a bad cold and couldn't attend, but I showed up manfully with an immigrant's guide to Utah, ready to accompany her out there the next spring, and talked about going to live among the polygamists, Brigham Young, German free-thinkers and being an infidel. It was... well, not a campy parody, but closer to it than anything I've done. And it still didn't really resemble our own modern views about religion, because things have changed so much since then.

Last weekend, I portrayed a man randomly assigned, who it turned out after research was the son of a Primitive Baptist preacher, and I portrayed him as a devoted Primited Baptist, and it felt a lot less like parody.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

I think it is an interesting discussion . I feel as if Christian faith is under represented. I do not want to "Pretend" to be a man of faith be a Hypocrite. However I feel that it is an honor to represent our predecessors, many of whom had deep religious faith. I have also been to more mainstream evebnts where a modern church service was done with little or no respect for the history or the scenario. At the beginning of many events I pray to the lord expalining my purposes and that above all I want him to be honored . I have led many camp services and I try to keep them historically accurate and Spirtually meanigful and I believe he delights in those services. :)

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Federal Chaplain Impression

Hank , I have really enjoyed our First person interaction on issues of faith .
RM