Why were Catholic chaplains in the British Army more likely to die at the frontlines than their Anglican counterparts in World War I?  Prof. Ron Hassner (UC-Berkeley) explains that this odd phenomenon can be traced to the importance of religious ritual in affecting how military combat is conducted.  The ritualistic importance to Catholics of administering last rites to dying soldiers meant that Catholic chaplains tended to be amongst combatants when bullets were flying.  We use this initial...

Keep on reading: Ron Hassner on Religion on the Battlefield