Steven T Collis

Just past midnight, on February 3, just hours from their destination, the Dorchester was torpedoed and sank, throwing its passengers into the frigid waters and creating the worst single loss of an American personnel convoy during WWII. Many of the survivors credit the four chaplains with saving their lives. Those chaplains would become known as the "Immortal Chaplains" for their heroism in making the ultimate sacrifice. With no thought of themselves, they calmly helped men to safety through the chaos of their badly damaged ship, searched for spare life jackets for those without-eventually giving away their own life jackets and encouraging men in the freezing waters.The celebrated story of the Immortal Chaplains is now joined for the first time in print by the largely untold story of another hero of the sinking of the Dorchester: Charles Walter David Jr. was a young Black petty officer aboard a Coast Guard cutter traveling with the convoy who bravely dived into the glacial water over and over again, even with hypothermia setting in, to try to rescue the men the chaplains had first helped and inspired to never give up. Through his efforts, he joins the Chaplains as one of the "Immortals."Thoroughly researched and told in an engrossing nonfiction narrative, the book alternates between accounts told from the perspective of the Nazi U-boat captain and his crew (as found in their journals and later interviews), and the hunted-the men of the American convoy. Using his expertise as a law professor specializing in religious freedom and constitutional law, the author, Steven T. Collis, also paints a thought-provoking portrait of religious life in America during wartime and how American views of faith affected the chaplains and the men they served.Page-turning and inspiring, The Immortals explores the power of faith and religious conviction and powerfully narrates the lives of five heroic men who believed in something greater than themselves, living lives of service and sacrifice for their country and their fellow man.

Deep Conviction features four ordinary Americans who put their reputations and livelihoods at risk as they fought to protect their first amendment right to live their personal beliefs. Though these individuals couldn't be more different, they share a similar conviction and determination, and the principles of religious freedom apply equally to all of them.In 1813, a Catholic priest in New York City faced prison after a grand jury subpoenaed him for refusing to divulge the identity of a jewelry thief who admitted to the crime during the sacrament of confession.In 1959, an atheist in Maryland was forced to choose between his job and his beliefs when the state required him, as part of the hiring process, to sign an oath that said he believed in God. The United States Supreme Court would decide his fate.In 1989, a Klamath Indian man walked into the highest court of our nation to fight for the right to practice the central sacrament of the Native American church after the state of Oregon had declared it illegal.And, finally, in 2017, a Christian baker and a gay couple took their case to the United States Supreme Court after the baker declined to create a custom wedding cake to celebrate the couple's same-sex marriage, fearing it would violate his duty to God.Chosen for their universality and for the broad principles they represent, these true stories reflect the diversity of beliefs in the United States, the conflicts between religious freedom and other interests, the perils individuals face when their right to live their beliefs is threatened, and the genius of America's promise of religious liberty for all.

Based on the true story of an American POW during the Korean War and a North Korean soldier who become unlikely allies united in their shared faith in God during a daring escape to freedomWhen his jet malfunctions, Captain Ward Millar makes a last-second decision to eject over enemy territory in North Korea before his plane explodes. His parachute barely opens before impact, saving his life, but the hard landing snaps both of his ankles. Unable to walk, Captain Millar is easily captured by North Korean and Chinese soldiers. His captors interrogate, threaten, and starve himin an attempt toextract strategic wartime information.Hestalls theinevitableby feeding the enemy false information, butit'sonly a matter of time before they discoverhis lies. Millar plots a bold, seemingly impossible plan to escape. He knows it will take a miracle to pull it off, but he's not sure if praying to a higher power would even work. He wishes he had faith like his wife, whose firm belief in God can move mountains.When Barbara Millar receives a telegram informing her that her husband is missing in action behind enemy lines, her family and friends accept the grim reality that Ward is almost certainly dead. Yet Barbara, a woman of deep and sustaining faith, refuses to believe it. She still feels his presence and their connection as strongly as ever. She is certain her husband will return, but she doesn't know how the war and his ordeal might have changed him.North Korean soldier Kim Jae Pil was raised to believe in the power of prayer, but because the Communist Party kills or imprisons any religious group they perceive as a threat to their power and influence, Kim and his family must keep their Christian faith secret. He has been anxious to return to his family and then escape across the border to South Korea.With Millar still imprisoned and unable to walk, and the North Korean army becoming increasingly suspicious of Kim's actions, it seems impossible that either man will find the freedom they so desperately desire. But when these wartime foes cross paths, they find in each other an unlikely ally. Despite speaking different languages, Millar and Kim find common ground in their fragile faith and must rely on each other to undertake a daring escape.Praying with the Enemyis a story of courage, determination, unlikely friendship, and enduring faith.