Climate Change and the Transformative Power of Moral Injury Repair

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Moral injury results from unreconcilable moral conflicts because of harm we cause, fail to prevent, or experience from others that violate our core values and involves feelings such as guilt, remorse, shame, outrage, and sorrow.

If unaddressed, it undermines relationships and leads to cynicism or despair. With the devastations and threats of climate change, many are experiencing moral injury. What can religious communities do to help people recover and to sustain efforts to respond to climate change?

In our introductory webinar Dr Rita Nakashima Brock and Revd Dr Susan Diamond discuss how moral injury is a sign of mental and moral health. Having a conscience and the ability to think about moral dilemmas is not a disorder, it is a gift of prophetic insight. Our task includes deconstructing theological ideas that are inadequate and harmful and providing rituals that train new ways of being that affirm relationships and community.

Joan Ishibashi reflects on how a moral injury framework might help us come to terms with our personal and collective responsibility for the climate and ecological crisis.