Customer Reviews

The Faith of the American Soldier

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Mansfield is a historian by training, a Christian by conviction, and wordsmith by gifting. In "Faith of the American Soldier" he combines these to produce an engrossing and thought-provoking collection of personal war time accounts. It's beautifully written while providing gut-wrenching glimpses into the ways battle affects the human soul. An amazing book. Parts of it will stay with me for a long, long time.

"The Faith of the American Soldier" is an excellent description of the search for spirituality by today's young adults! Although the author uses American service people as the basis of his analysis, the "search for spirituality" by all young adults is very similar. The non-military personell do not necessarily have the crises thrust upon them like the military, but the search is the same. I have recommended the book to my two children who have sons in the military. I also plan to give my copy to our pastor as I believe he will find it useful in understanding and dealing with young adults.

Stephen Mansfield's work provides a series of interviews with Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist believers, who are not only young, arguably the so-called Generation X, but also serving in Iraq. What he uncovers is that while many of today's youth, very possibly those who are not in foxholes, but in college in the US as well, are disenchanted with many of the institutionalized forms of religion and the failings of those religions. However, these young people are still seeking and finding faith. Mansfield's work is not simply religious, but creates a cultural picture of today's newest generation in their 20s having a real desire for ethic, moral and spiritual direction. Many of the individual anecdotes are powerful. And the book overall inspires me with a sense of pride and admiration and hope for the next generation of Americans. This book in many ways is the counter point to much of writing saying we have lost our ethos and have embraced materialism too enthusiastically. Mansfield is able to show that not only are their no atheists in fox holes, but more importantly that these young people do not believe blindly, but search their souls seeking universal and eternal truths.
It's an educational, enlightening and inspiring work. I highly commend it to you.

The title captured my interest but the negativity expressed through some of the descriptions of battle scenes bothered me especially since I have active military experience. Gross descriptions of allied soldiers killing Iraqis and then questioning motives did nothing other than undermine the reason the soldier is serving. Drawing quotes from Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 film disappointed me as I do not see Mr. Moore as a credible authority on the war and the American soldier. A little more independent thought from Mr. Mansfield would have made better use of my time. I do NOT recommend this book unless you are anti-war and looking for reasons to criticize our troops.

It is an interesting time for religion in the United States. On the one hand we have the fundamentalist Christian right wing that would like to think that theirs is the dominant religion in the country. And on the other we have the fact that fewer and fewer people are attending church regularly.

The left wing, seems to be ashamed to mention religion in any way. While again, most Americans report that they are not without faith of some kind.

In this book the author goes looking for a faith on the part of the soldiers we have in the Middle East. Obviously he finds it. What I don't know, and can't determine from reading between the lines is any percentages, any numbers of the faithful vs. the non.

Having written the book "The Faith of George W. Bush" this author seems to be seeking confirmation of his own thoughts. I find the book quite interesting, but am not so sure it is unbiased.

I am very disappointed in the sections from the book on Military Chaplains and the authors own quotes on the News. As a Navy Chaplain his remarks about Chaplains not going outside the wire are simply untrue, as any Chaplain who has served with Infantry Marines can tell you. Additionally, Navy Chaplains bring with them Religious Program Specialists who act as personal body guards--relieving Marines of the concern for the Chaplain's well-being. As a Navy Chaplain my Marines were always happy to see me outside the wire, especially while in Fallujah. They were always eager to have me along on convoys.

Also, Chaplains work at the pleasure of their denominations, not the State, who would quickly pull up stakes or at the least cry foul if the Navy ever asked Chaplains to do something outside their conscience or faith.

For these reasons I can't recommend the book, though anecdotal, it calls into question the accuracy of some of his other conclusions.

This book is well written and a fast read. The author expresses the seniments of many concerning the youth produced by this nation; youth who are themselves the product of the WW2 baby boomers and the Viet Nam era flower children. It is with surprise, and great depth of feeling one discovers that our fighting youth are people of honor and depth, searching for a spiritual base on which to anchor their lives and souls. This reader espresses shame and regret that they are barred from companionship in battle circumstances with their chaplins which could, perhaps, give them the base they need. Hooray for our troops!!!!

Mr. Mansfield has given readers an opportunity that few have, that of becoming aware of experiences, motivations and desires of our American service people. My grandson who was injured in the July suicide bombing of the building where he and others were training Irag soldiers, recommended this excellent book.

I join in recommending this investigative, well written and documented study of the faith, the disciplined faith, of those who live for the freedoms of others.

One can appreciate the author's attempt to show respect and a degree of appreciation for our soldiers, but it is critically deficient.
While the author tries to maintain religious neutrality in dealing with religion, such attempts are always incomplete and so often unsatisfying.
The latest "Millenial" generation of warfighters, as Mansfield calls them, as with every generation, are trying to make sense of God and to be right with God as they face death on the battlefield.
This presents a problem. As important as it is to embolden onself to get onto the battlefields, there are serious limits to a personal faith, no matter how sincere: a personal faith that one assembles from a variety of beliefs, as the author narrated in his account of various soldiers' faiths.
Warfighters can fight and win without faith, and many do.
But the real battle and the real victory is when a soldier dies.
The faith that got him into the fight may not be the faith that will carry him in to an eternity that he desires.
Again, many will disregard the eternal as unknowable.
But it is a gross injustice, especially in any treatment of faith and religion,
not to address the Christ of the Christianity about which the author writes.
A thinking soldier will consider seriously and thoroughly the reality of life and death.
Faith of the American Soldier erred by ignoring the exclusive truth claims of the religions he wrote about from the arm's length of alleged neutrality.
God is not the God of our own making - that is an idol.
God is Who He says He is. Only God can accurately reveal Himself. And He has shown Himself in His Bible.
The real victory is from the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Winning on the battlefield and losing in Eternity is not necessary, given one understands and follows the Christ of Christianity.

Highly recommend!!!! Very spiritually moving and motivating.
You won't be disappointed. Esp. recommend to military and
families of military members.