Although the moral and ethical dimensions of NATO presence in Afghanistan has been the focus of debate by politicians and media alike, questions of the religious culture and spirituality that underlie the complexities of both the conflict and convictions of those affected have rarely been discussed. The entries of this thought-provoking journal offer a unique window into this strange and unpredictable war-torn realm from the perspective of a Christian army chaplain who has experienced the terrors of war "from the foxhole." This diary represents the brutally honest, yet deeply spiritual reflections and questions of a Lutheran clergyman whose aim is not to justify, but to record, the life of faith. Join Padre Ristau in a journey marked by episodes of wonder and struggle, celebration and hardship, and come away . . . changed. True stories: some inspiring; some frightening. Yet none of them remain unfamiliar to the Divine.

Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau (PhD, McGill University), Lutheran Pastor, Reformation scholar, and author ofUnderstanding Martin Luther's Demonological Rhetoric in His Treatise Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525), became a chaplain of the Canadian Forces after several years of cross-cultural ministry in the urban settings of Montreal and Toronto in which his work amongst Asian refugees and immigrants triggered a desire to serve both his country and his Church overseas.