By Laura K. Kerr

A program called The Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas studies the moral injuries of combat. The Center’s members believe a moral injury happens to warriors when they must make decisions during combat that oppose their moral convictions. Their website shares the following description of the moral injuries of war:

“Moral injury is perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. This may entail participating in or witnessing inhumane or cruel actions, failing to prevent the immoral acts of others, as well as engaging in subtle acts or experiencing reactions that, upon reflection, transgress a moral code.” [Brett Litz, et al. “Moral Injury and Moral Repair in War Veterans: A Preliminary Model and Intervention Strategy.” Clinical Psychology Review 29, no. 8 (2009): 695-706.]

This definition of moral injury is…