The Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School was established in 2012 to research and better understand recovery from the extreme distress that results from moral injury. It results from empathy and self-reflection on moral values in the wake of morally ambiguous, extreme conditions. In making choices in life-threatening situations that pose ethical quandaries, especially, for example, in war, p
eople may feel they failed or made the wrong choice. They may have to kill or violate rules of engagement, but they may also witness death, fail to prevent harm, or feel guilty about surviving. Unresolved traumatic grief or feeling betrayed by persons in authority can also be precipitating factors. The Center educates the public—such as religious and non-profit communities, employers, educators, and medical care-givers—about the ways we can enable the return to ordinary life of those who experience moral injury. Since its official launch on November 12, 2012, the Center has been featured in national media stories, and it is well on its way to becoming a major resource for:
Training congregations and seminaries to:
Welcome veterans into their communities and serve the spiritual needs of veterans;
Offer hospitality to Soul Repair Meetings for support of veterans and friends and families struggling with moral injury;
Expand existing and retrieve long-neglected ancient wisdom from religious and ethical traditions on spiritual formation, conscience, ritual, and soul repair;
Use the arts to depict and elicit discussions of moral injury; and
Provide useful resources for diverse religious communities. Organizing a network of specialized and regional programs, enabling them to share their experiences and best practices in multiple ways. Specialized programs include:
Religious associations and congregations
Colleges and Universities
Veteran Associations
Civic and Social Groups
Medical care-givers
Welcoming veterans home through re-entry and reintegration processes that support long-term recovery and success throughout life. Enabling veterans to find support systems in their communities. Fostering research into moral injury and becoming a national information source for understanding the many dimensions of recovery. Supporting non-polarizing, complex, and engaged conversations about the moral questions that govern the conduct of war and other forms of socially sanctioned violence. These conversations enable non-partisan community engagement across traditional political and religious divides and foster deep listening practices that better serve the individual struggles of conscience in veterans. Disseminating information and training for places around the world that struggle in the aftermath of war and violence and that seek opportunities and avenues to support spiritual healing in their societies.
