This is a piece I wrote for The Forum at Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church (CTEWC), a global ethics network fostering connections between moral theologians in the world church. It analyzes and critiques the USCCB legal teams’ amicus brief in three recent employment discrimination cases. I argue that our workplaces are enriched by LGBT employees.
Follow this link to hear my conversation with Molleen Dupree-Dominguez, host of On A Mission podcast. Molleen’s podcast is a series of conversations with people who inspire her on her spiritual journey. We talked about my research at the intersection of sexual and social ethics, about discernment, and about the importance of theology that starts with real women’s experiences.
Check out Molleen’s blog here: https://molleendupreedominguez.home.blog/
Friday, June 7, 2019
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“Another Pro-Life Movement Is Possible”
Respondent: Dr. Nichole M. Flores, University of Virginia
https://www.ctsa-online.org/Convention
Abstract
In this address, I argue that another pro-life movement is possible. My paper follows the conference theme in three steps: 1. Violence: We need to untangle patriarchy from the pro-life movement; 2. Resistance: We need to resist patriarchy and the related mindsets of double standard morality, oversimplification, and single-issue politics; 3. Transformation: We need to practice what we preach in an expanded pro-life movement. I do not challenge the magisterial teaching that there should always be a presumption against taking human life. Instead, I ask what that means for Catholic participation in political life and pragmatic discernment about how to foster a culture of life most effectively. I encourage us to center the experiences of women, including women who have experienced pregnancy loss and abortion. I hope that our conversation this morning can move us forward as a church community to create more spaces for wrestling with moral complexity and ambiguity, accompanying people facing difficult discernments about responsible choices regarding fertility, and at the same time living out the joy of the gospel and our hope of new life in Christ.
Check out NCR’s coverage of the CTSA here.
First Published November 30, 2018
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0040563918801194
Catholic feminism has flourished in the decades following Humanae Vitae. Still, Catholic women do not speak with one voice on the issue of birth control. I argue that Humanae Vitae has had far-reaching damaging effects on many Catholic women and their spirituality, moral agency, and fertility. Nevertheless, any feminist critique of the document must also take seriously the experiences of Catholic women who express that practicing natural family planning has brought empowerment, good health, and increased spousal intimacy. Further ecclesial discernment is needed, with special attention to women’s leadership on this issue.
Catholic Theology of Marriage in the Era of HIV and AIDS: Marriage for Life – April 24, 2015
by Emily Reimer-Barry (Author)
Marriage for Life begins by listening to the lived experiences of Catholic, married, HIV-positive women, in order to better understand their struggles. The eight women interviewed in Chicago, Illinois, USA, shared their stories of marriage, of family life, of church involvement, and of living with HIV. Their candid reflections offer a fresh and grounded perspective on the challenges of living with HIV in a US context. After listening to and learning from these women’s experiences, Reimer-Barry constructs a theology of Christian marriage that is life-giving in a world with AIDS.