Robbins Lecture 2025

Church or chaplain?
Nurturing faith in a time of conflict and moral injury

By Aaron Fuller

Wednesday 12 November
6pm in person in Durham (venue TBC) - with a 7.30pm drinks reception for further discussion 
Also online: 6pm GMT | 7pm CET | 11am PST | 2pm EST

About the session

It seems across the world, societies are divided along every ideological line right now: social, cultural, political, and religious. Conflict arising from these divisions seems to be escalating from civil expressions to hate speech, bullying, violence, and even war. Looking to history, these phenomena are not unique to our time and place. However, they are no less devastating. 

Attempting to restore unity, today’s religious institutions and communities seem to mirror the ideological extremes that contribute to, rather than heal, conflict and division among people. It has caused many to abandon organised religion in favour of personalised forms of spirituality, if they choose to pursue any at all. Many, like American Sociologist Christian Smith, have wondered, “Has religion become obsolete?” What is the church’s response and mission today?

In this lecture, Aaron will suggest that moral injury lies at the heart of societal conflict and divisions. Mapping moral injury along two main trajectories, weaponisation and pathologisation, he will explain how moral injuries are exploited to fuel hatred and serve the interests of persons and institutions seeking control of, rather than unity among, people. Furthermore, he will highlight that religious institutions are not immune to such interests and can perpetuate moral injuries in the same manner.

Aaron will offer that the church’s response and mission in our current times is rooted in pastoral care. By re-emphasising pastoral care in its mission and ministry, the church and communities of faith invite people into a theo-ethical posture of seeking and experiencing healing with the divine and with one another. He will envision the praxis of pastoral care that heals moral injuries that cause conflict and division as chaplaincy. Drawing from current research, work, and his experience in chaplaincy, Aaron will offer possibilities for the church and communities of faith to usher in individual and collective approaches to moral repair and healing.

About Aaron

Aaron is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), having primarily served in congregational settings. He also serves as a Chaplain in the United States Navy Reserve, having served in several Reserve and Active Duty assignments. Prior to ordination in 2013, Aaron served for 9 years as a submarine warfare officer in the United States Navy on active duty. His interest in moral injury is in clinical and structural forms, with a particular interest in the church and military contexts.  

Join us

All are welcome to attend this free public lecture, named after and introduced by the Venerable Stephen Robbins, former Chaplain General of the British Army (2008-2011) and Archdeacon for the Army in the Church of England (2004-2011). 

If you are in Durham, UK, on 12 November 2025 we hope you will join us in person and stay around afterwards for informal discussions over drinks. The lecture will also be streamed online for those unable to join us in person.

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