06/06/2026
An Afternoon with Rita Nakashima Brock. Moral injury is deep psychological or spiritual distress resulting from one’s actions or inactions that violate one’s core moral belief system. It is a moral wound that can lead to guilt, shame, anxiety, anger, and/or a sense of betrayal. This presentation will examine the roots of American fascism, the energy of moral injury that drives white Christian nationalism, and its relationship to American democracy. We will look at how these dynamics play into the rise of global fascism and explore strategies for surviving the next decade, including a faith not grounded in moral injury.
Rita Nakashima Brock, RelM, MA, PhD, is a pioneering theologian, scholar, and award-winning author. The first Asian American woman to earn a doctorate in philosophy of religion and theology, she has taught religion, feminist studies, and Asian American studies for nearly three decades at institutions including Hamline University, the Pacific School of Religion, and Harvard University, where she directed the Radcliffe Fellowship Program. Dr. Brock is co-author of Soul Repair and Saving Paradise, and author or co-author of influential works including Proverbs of Ashes and Journeys by Heart. A leading voice on moral injury, she co-founded the Soul Repair Center and most recently served as Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Recovery Programs at Volunteers of America. Now retired, she lives in Minnesota.
