Biblical, Theological, & Philosophical Foundations Paper
Kerri Dawn Loncon
Introduction to Chaplaincy Ministry CHPL500 (D01)
Oct 24,2025
Contents
Introduction to Biblical, Theological, & Philosophical Foundations of Chaplaincy..............1
Various Biblical Principles of Chaplaincy..................................................................................2
Theological Nature of God as Related to The Nature of Chaplaincy......................................3
Fulfillment of GC2........................................................................................................................4
The Philosophy of Chaplaincy.....................................................................................................5
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................6
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................8
1
Introduction to Biblical, Theological, & Philosophical Foundations of Chaplaincy
1 Timothy 1:12 states, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that
he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”(King James Version). According to the
Book Chaplaincy by Jumper, a chaplain is a minister who represents a recognized religion and
joins an institution or organization to support and minister to its people.1 The calling of a
chaplain is the same as that of a minister- an invitation by the Lord to serve faithfully. Being
faithful is a solid foundation for a chaplain, and it begins with focusing on God and the word of
God. There is no lasting presence to the people if God is not in the mix. As Jumper states in
Chaplaincy, “As Christian chaplains, we prefer to deal with the whole person-body, mind, and
spirit.”2 The identity of a chaplain, according to Jumper, is “We define ourselves by our
relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.”3 Jumper also states, ”chaplains should be who
they are: first, persons who do not lose their identity in the organization they serve, and second,
faithful representatives of particular religious bodies, or faith groups.”4 There is no such thing as
a multifaith chaplain; they cannot practice any and every religion. They must represent a
particular, legitimate religious group. But they must be open to diverse ways of providing service
when communicating with others and acting as an advocate through routine procedures,
interactions, and conversations with people across all faith groups. This paper will argue that
advocacy of chaplaincy is grounded in biblical, theological, and philosophical foundations and
can navigate complex systems of religions, theologies, and philosophies among the people they
serve.
1 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E. Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy: A Comprehensive
Introduction (Grand Rapids Baker Academic, 2024). 6.
2 Ibid., 8.
3 Ibid., 8.
4 Ibid., 5.
2
Various Biblical Principles of Chaplaincy
A chaplain ministers and advocates to individuals acting in humility in service to God.5
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slaved person nor free, “nor is there male and female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Our Lord teaches that we should love people
no matter what their culture, religion, or ethnicity. “A new commandment I give to you, that you
love one another, even as I have loved you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you,
that you also love one another.” (John 3:34, New American Standard Bible). Dr. Keith from the
Lecture “Biblical and Theological Foundations of Chaplaincy” in CHPL500 stated that “our
calling is to care for the souls of people, and we have several missions: relational, servant,
incarnational, represent God, supernatural, and evangelistic.”6 For the chaplains, the Bible
provides the security and trust needed to accomplish their mission of serving in any capacity,
grounded in the word of faith and the confidence of the Lord.
“The chaplain’s authentic relationship with the Lord is ground zero for integrity and
effectiveness. All that the chaplain is and does must be rooted in the chaplain’s heart, soul, and
mind, and must be anchored to the source of all that is good (James 1:17, NASB).”7 Chaplains'
calling is to provide counseling to individuals in difficult situations, whether professional,
marital, family, emotional, or spiritual. “For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, and you
have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (NASB).
5 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E. Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy: A Comprehensive Introduction. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2024).8.
6 Biblical and Theological Foundations of Chaplaincy. Directed by Liberty University. Performed by Steve Keith. 2025.
7 Ibid. 9.
3
Theological Nature of God as Related to The Nature of Chaplaincy
According to Jumper in Chaplaincy, “We affirm that our one God consists of three
distinct yet united persons: the holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each and all joined
relationally in eternal love.”8 The theological aspect of God in chaplaincy involves understanding
chaplains' roles in offering spiritual guidance, support, and counseling across different settings.
The theology of chaplaincy is also embedded in God’s holy nature and is based on the Word of
God (Gen. 3, NASB). Theology of creation- the chaplain recognized the essential goodness of
every person (Genesis Chapter 1, NASB). We can understand how the Lord is the leading
advocate for humanity when He gave His very own life (John 3:16, New King James Version).9
Theology of hospitality, rooted in relationship- hospitality as ministry, not the contemporary use
of “hospitality” as entertainment or the hospitality industry of hotels and restaurants (Romans
5:8, NKJV).10 According to Acts 5:31 (NKJV), God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince
and Savior, that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
So, salvation will be imminent from the Lord because the soul needs to be rescued from sin.
Sarah Dunlap stated in her article Is ‘Being There ' Enough? Explorations of
Incarnational Missiology with chaplains. “This ministry of presence has the potential to be
more than a comfort to people—it can be redemptive and provide reconciliation with God, and
the Nicene Creed explains that the reason for the incarnation is Jesus’ mission on earth, ‘For us
and for our salvation.”11 The Holy Spirit is God’s advocate for humanity, and in the presence of
8 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy. (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2024).20.
9 https://www.professionalchaplains.org (accessed 10 25, 2025).
10
Ibid
.
11 Dunlop, Sarah. "Is 'Being There' Enough? Explorations of Incarnational Missiology with Chaplains".
Practical Theology Volume 10, 2010 (Durham, UK), 174-86.
4
the chaplain, helps them be precise when praying for others and administering healing, and
even in deliverance and/or exorcism in other cases. The Holy Spirit has the same authority as
the
Father and the Son. He works as a “Guide.” In man’s spirit, heart, and mind, thought forms and
Patterns guide them in visions, revealing and granting them divine knowledge about the areas
that are needed for serving others, bringing about restoration and victory to those the chaplain
is serving.12 Jumper states, “Chaplain ministry is focused on caring for the eternal souls of. It is
focused on bringing God to people and people to God. It is focused on helping people have
godly relationships with one another (Matt. 22:37-39, NKJV). Chaplaincy is an eternal
mission.13 (Corinthians 12:4-11, NKJV) says “that the Spirit bestows gifts, and the
administrations and the diversities of operations may be different. Still, the Spirit is the same”.
So, there may be three, but they are ONE.
Fulfillment of GC2
Jumper, in his book Chaplaincy, states “that GC2 stands for Great Commandment and
Great Commission.” They reflect the significant concepts of each principle. The Great
Commandment, the Laws, the statutes, and ordinances of God are the testament of God, just as
the Bible explicitly teaches readers to embody His holiness and likeness here on earth in Christ.
Jumper states “that first there is the Great Commandment, Jesus’s answer to critics based on the
Scriptures they held in common: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind (Deut. 6:5, NKJV).”14 As chaplains succumb to the Holy
12 Earlisa Brockenberry, Biblical, Theological, & Philosophical Paper Assignment. 01 19, 2025. (Va) 4.
13 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy.(Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2024). 14.
14 Ibid., 9.
5
Spirit’s filling and strength, they exhibit the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”(Gal. 5:22-23, NKJV) The Great
Commission’s purpose is discipleship. Evangelical chaplains consider evangelism the first step
in making a disciple, as a person begins a personal and eternal relationship with God on the
journey toward being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29-30, NKJV).15 So, Jumper
is correct in stating that “Discipleship is well-suited for chaplaincy”.16
The Philosophy of Chaplaincy
Philosophies investigate the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct. In
Jumper’s book Chaplaincy, he discusses the philosophies of God and Anthropology: God
creates, redeems, and fills a person; he does so with respect to the whole person, not just a part.
As such, every person is wonderfully made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and able to exist and
thrive in both the physical and spiritual realms.17 The next philosophy is God and work. God
gave us the gift of work. In Genesis, the first work was the care of God’s creation; Adam and
Eve were to care for the Garden of Eden. According to Jumper, “This work assignment from God
has meant that humans have an intimate relationship with the physical cosmos, from earth to
space, all created by God.18 Giving people a stake in both their world and in their own well-being
is God’s gift of work. Work gives not only harmony with creation and subsistence for their lives,
but also satisfaction, dignity, and meaning. Jumper states “that the chaplain, almost always
15 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E. Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy. (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2024).10
16 Ibid., 9.
17 Ibid., 27.
18 Ibid., 28.
6
ministering in a work environment, can use these understandings to help people better appreciate
and attain the benefits of work’s high value in and of itself.”19
The philosophy of access of God relates to the idea that we are the temple of the Holy
Spirit in the inner man, whereby the chaplains have access all the time, not just on Sundays. By
being advocates of The Lord, they have constant access to God through their dedicated reverence
for Him and His word, as well as through the daily communion they share with Him in seeking
guidance and understanding. According to His Will, in the lives of others, and the lifestyle the
chaplain lives in divine order, can grant the chaplain direct access to God. In Scripture, “In him
and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”(Ephesians 3:12,
New International Version).
Conclusion
The biblical, theological, and philosophical foundations of chaplaincy form its
comprehensive base. These three areas work together in the study of chaplaincy.20 Being
connected with God as a chaplain strengthens God’s call to fulfill the GC2 as His representative
because chaplains spend most of their time in the field helping others rather than in church
(Matthew 28:16-20).21 That said, the chaplain must be more mindful of others' thoughts, feelings,
and practices. Chaplains are trained and willing to engage daily with diverse viewpoints without
feeling uncomfortable or out of place. Good chaplains should demonstrate love for the people
they serve. That love is not just the self-giving love of God that chaplains show in their official
19 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy. (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2024). 29.
20 Keith Travis, Welcome to CHPL 500. Lynchburg, October 08, 2025
21 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy. (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2024). 31.
7
duties. Chaplains also have brotherly love for others, caring about their feelings. In other words,
the chaplain needs to enjoy being around, working with, and living among secular people and
those of different faiths.
Jumper writes, “The chaplain who brings good theology to people builds community and
brings the palpable presence of God to a place and a people that need him”.22 Chaplaincy
textbook also notes “that a chaplain should hang out with the people but maintain their
testimony, and that way the people will know that the minister in their midst has something
better than not just their banter and antics, but also the problems they have in life.”23
Bibliography
Brockenberry, Earlisa. Biblical, Theological, & Philosophical Paper Assignment. January 19,
2025.1-12
Dunlop, Sarah. "Is 'Being There' Enough? Explorations of Incarnational Missiology with
Chaplains". Practical Theology Volume 10, 2010: 174-86.
https://www.professionalchaplains.org (accessed October 25, 2025).
Jumper, Mark A, Steven E Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy. Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2024.
Keith, Steve. (Video lecture in CHPL 500: Biblical and Theological Foundational of
Chaplaincy. Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA. October 08,
Myers, Russell. "Themes for A Theology of Chaplaincy." professional chaplains. 2017.
22 Mark A. Jumper, Steven E Keith, and Michael W. Langston. Chaplaincy. (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2024). 14.
23 Ibid., 14.
8
https://www.professionalchaplains.org (accessed 10 25, 2025).
Travis, Keith. Welcome to CHPL 500. Lynchburg, October 08, 2025.
