ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sociol.
Sec. Medical Sociology
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1636853
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Cost of War: Sociological Approaches to the Societal and Individual Wounds of CombatView all 25 articles
Creating moral space: How military chaplains in the Netherlands support veterans with moral injury
Provisionally accepted
- University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, Netherlands
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Introduction The concept of moral injury has drawn attention to the role of military chaplains (MCs) in supporting veterans. While international research has explored MC interventions, collaboration with mental health professionals, and institutional influences, longitudinal, process-oriented insights into MC practice remain scarce, particularly in the Dutch context, which combines secularization, pluralized worldviews, and a unique institutional position of MCs. Methods This study employs a qualitative longitudinal design, analyzing the practice of 6 Dutch MCs in their counseling work with post-active veterans over a period of 3–12 months. Data consists of detailed conversation reports from each dyad and quarterly group reflections with participating MCs. Analysis included cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches, identifying both patterns in how MCs address moral injury in one-on-one meetings with veterans and how these meetings unfold over time. Results Three interrelated dimensions characterize Dutch MCs' practice: presence – encompassing the physical setting and relational quality of encounters; their institutional position which we characterize as an embedded independent position within the military and healthcare systems; and moral reflection – referring to attuned pathways of how MCs address moral struggles. Longitudinal analysis revealed four typologies of contact development: (1) clear request and alignment, (2) emerging focus, (3) development through the relationship, and (4) minimal responsiveness with story-sharing focus. Breakthrough moments were observed primarily in types 1– 3 and required sustained engagement. Discussion The study emphasizes the moral significance of relational presence and the embedded independent position of MCs in addressing moral injury. Dutch MCs create a 'moral space' allowing veterans to explore moral concerns, re-establish self-trust, and recognize broader sociopolitical dimensions of moral injury. These findings highlight the importance of attuned, politicized, and confidential care in addressing moral injury, with implications for professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the quality of veteran care.
Keywords: moral injury, Veterans, Military chaplaincy, Moral learning, longitudinal qualitativeresearch
Received: 28 May 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mudde, Schuhmann and Jacobs. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Laura Mudde, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, Netherlands
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.