The Chaplain (Tract)

The Chaplain is a religious tract written by Jack Chick. It was originally printed in 2005, and currently remains an out of print title (however, all out-of-print titles can be ordered from Chick Publications for a minimum quantity of 10,000 tracts). It is listed on their website under the subject "Basic Gospel" and also tagged as "Military".

The tract depicts a battle in the Middle East not going well for a unit; one soldier (identified only as "Preacher") prays for a miracle, whereupon the wind shifts the sand into the attacking enemy's eyes, turning the tide. Another soldier, Benny, dismisses it as luck. Preacher and Benny have a long conversation about the Gospel.

Meanwhile, a chaplain is informed that he will be shipped out to combat (over his protests).

The unit has a grenade lobbed into it; Preacher places his helmet over it, dying in the process. When asked by Benny why he did it, he said that he couldn't let Benny die since he wasn't ready (to meet God).

The chaplain arrives at the unit; Benny tells the chaplain about Preacher. However, the chaplain openly dismisses the story, saying that Preacher wasn't a real preacher since he lacked a seminary degree, and furthermore the chaplain expresses ecumenical views. Yet Benny remembers Preacher's selfless actions ("The Preacher died for me ... not that snotty little creep!") and places his trust in Jesus; when he tells the chaplain the next day he is now considered a "religious terrorist" and "a threat to everyone".

As the unit moves, the chaplain refuses to sit with Benny (saying he's an officer and won't sit with Bible thumpers). The truck runs over a land mine, there are no survivors. Benny is welcomed into Heaven while the chaplain is sentenced to Hell.

External Links[edit]

The Chaplain