Theological Studies Continues Religion and Complex Social Issues Series With a Conversation about Religion, Theology and Abortion
In 2017, the Theological Studies Department at Saint Louis University launched the Religion and Complex Social Issues series to provide informative, thoughtful, discussion-oriented opportunities to engage in topics of enormous consequence through the frameworks of theology and religion.
The series began in the wake of the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017. Eager to condemn the racism of this violent rally and to provide a space for dialogue for members of the SLU community — especially students — the department organized its first conversation on racism and God-talk in September 2017, out of which the series was born.
Since then, leading scholars have come to SLU to lead conversations exploring racism, politics, immigration, law and other issues through the lenses of academic rigor and the University’s Jesuit mission. The events are intentionally designed to encourage and support dialogue among students and these experts, with ample time set aside for questions and responses.
The series’ theme this year is Gender, Sex and Sexuality. The first event is a conversation exploring the issue of abortion between students and two renowned scholars: Catholic ethicist Emily Reimer-Barry, Ph.D., and Tricia Bruce, Ph.D., a sociologist of Catholicism in America.
“Religion, Theology and Abortion” begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, in Carlo Auditorium in Tegeler Hall, 3550 Lindell Blvd., on north campus. The event is primarily a forum for students to engage in open dialogue with the speakers and each other, but all members of the SLU community are welcome to attend. Free pizza and sodas will be provided (first come, first served).
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) have encouraged their member institutions to be places where there can be an open dialogue about this complex topic. This event is informed by the associations' guidance on how to promote balanced and civil discussions.
Elizabeth Sweeny Block, Ph.D., associate professor of Christian ethics in the Department of Theological Studies at SLU, will moderate the Sept. 22 conversation with scholars Reimer-Barry and Bruce.
More About the Speakers
Emily Reimer-Barry is an associate professor of Theology and Religious Studies and affiliated faculty in the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of San Diego, where she teaches undergraduate courses in theological ethics. Her articles have appeared in Theological Studies, Proceedings of the Catholic Theological Society of America, Theology & Sexuality, and the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics. She is a member of Catholic Theology in the World Church, Catholic Theological Society of America, and the Society of Christian Ethics. Her current writing project explores reproductive justice by centering women's experiences of pregnancy, pregnancy loss, childbirth and mothering in the Catholic tradition.
Tricia Bruce is a sociologist of religion with the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, and the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Department of Sociology. She is the author of multiple award-winning books, articles and research reports, including a forthcoming book with the University of California Press on ordinary Americans’ abortion attitudes.