From Combat to Congregation: A Guide to Moral Injury for Everyday Ministers

Authors

• Kristyn Demers, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

9-9-2026

Disciplines

Sociology of Religion

Advisor

Dr. Daniella Zsupan-Jerome

Abstract

Veterans often receive inadequate ministerial care for their unique and complex spiritual needs. Therefore, everyday ministers need training in trauma-informed spiritual care and practices of moral healing. These practices need to be implemented within parish and church communities to aid in the care and reintegration of veterans into our communities. In this paper, I will: a) introduce and distinguish moral injury as a particular concern for veterans; b) offer theological and scriptural evidence of the need for proper ministerial responses to moral injury; and c) list a set of tools and resources for ministers who interact with veterans.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Demers, Kristyn, "From Combat to Congregation: A Guide to Moral Injury for Everyday Ministers" (2026). Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-). 382.
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/ur_cscday/382