The Rise of Far Right Nationalism: Moral Injury and Religion

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, the rise of far right nationalism in the UK and explore strategies for surviving the next decade, including a faith not grounded in moral injury.

We are delighted to welcome our speaker, Rita Nakashima Brock RelM, MA, PhD. In 2025 Rita spoke to us about moral injury in the context of climate change. You can read Joan Ishibashi’s reflection on this event https://www.sjp.org.uk/moral-injury-repair-and-climate-change/

Rita Nakashima Brock is the first Asian American woman to earn a doctorate in philosophy of religion and theology. She was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and was raised in the U.S. military. A scholar, educator, editor, and award-winning author, she has written several books including Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury After War (2013, with Gabriella Lettini) and Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire (2008, with Rebecca Parker). A professor of religion, feminist studies, and Asian American Studies for 28 years, Dr. Brock also directed the Bunting/Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program at Harvard University from 1997-2001 and was a fellow at the Harvard Divinity School Center for Values in Public Life from 2001-2002. A recognised expert on moral injury, she co-founded the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School in 2012, and in 2017, she became Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Recovery Programs at Volunteers of America, a large social services non-profit founded in 1896 by Maude and Ballington Booth. She retired in July 2025 and lives in Minnesota, U.S.A.

This event will also be live streamed on our YouTube channel at 1.30pm for those that can’t make it in person.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Kq6gRJorE4JqOg-_lPchA

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