The First
The Monthly Newsletter of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church
March 2021
Featured Forum Articles
African Forum: "Prof. Wangari Mathai's Moral Vision in Light of Climate Change"
- Teresia Hinga

European Forum: "COVID-19, the Economy, and the Global Common Good"
- Ingeborg Gabriel

North American Forum: "US Catholics Need to Assert an Independent Consensus about Government" - Ramón Luzárraga
Asian and Oceanic Forum: "Feminist Futures in the Time of Emergency"
- Sharon Bong

Latin American and Caribbean Forum: "Pandemia, Interior e Interioridad"
- Miguel Ángel Sánchez Carlos

Junior Scholars Forum: "Doing Ethics in Eastern Churches"
- Geevarghese Kaithavana
In Memoriam
This month we mourn the loss yet give thanks for the life of Rev Prof Enda McDonagh, Emeritus Professor of Moral Theology at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
 
Enda died peacefully on the morning of Wednesday 24 February 2021 in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin. He sustained fractures following a fall in the nursing home where he was resident, and it was decided not to operate. Although his physical health had declined in recent years, he remained mentally alert.
 
Those who knew Fr. Enda McDonagh, in person or through his writings, will know that a creative force has left Ireland and the world of Catholic theology. His many books and writings were replete with humanism and wisdom. His theological insights were enriched and enlivened by his embrace of all things literary and poetic, sharpened by their rootedness in political realities, and suffused with a creation-centred spirituality.
 
It would be difficult to over-estimate McDonagh’s impact on the Catholic world and on Irish intellectual life. He made a lasting contribution to the Church’s witness on HIV and AIDS. In public and behind the scenes, at home and abroad, in theological and in development contexts, he worked courageously and tirelessly to move the Church beyond knee-jerk intolerance and wrong-headed moralism.
 
A supporter of CTEWC since its inception, McDonagh’s legacy will live long.
 
He closes his eyes on winter light, anticipating a dazzling divine dawn.
- Julie Clague

Additional reflections in memoriam by Ann Smith, in The Irish Times, and by Jack Power.
Virtual Tables Report
Reproductive Justice and the Common Good Virtual Table

Our virtual table has 13 participants from 5 countries. We come together monthly for shared reflection on themes related to reproductive health and social justice. A recent discussion focused on feminist postcolonial scholarship, gender mainstreaming, and the category of “human rights” in reproductive justice conversations. Our February meeting focused on the scholarship of Loretta J. Ross in the US context, investigating the relationship between patriarchy and white supremacy. Our March meeting will continue to probe the category of “women’s rights” by examining particular situations of economic hardship in the global south. While dialogue about our ongoing research projects remains an important part of our collaboration, the friendships and mutual support of this group during a difficult year of professional and personal challenges have been particularly noteworthy.

Asian Regional Report
Bioethics Conference on the COVID-19 Vaccine

The International Association of Catholic Bioethics (IACB) organizes its 2nd Web Discussion on Saturday, March 13, 2021, 8.30-10 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time/Greenwich Mean Time. Topic: "Is COVID-19 vaccination "ordinary" (ethically obligatory) treatment?" Jason Eberl (USA) and Fr. James McTavish (Philippines) are the main speakers. For details and to register please visit the IACB's academic website.

Online Conference on Fratelli Tutti

 Association of Moral Theologians of India (AMTI) organises an online conference on Fratelli Tutti: A Call to Solidarity” on Wednesday, 03 March 2021, from 6 to 8 pm [India]. This conference proposes to reflect on the ethical dimensions of Fratelli Tutti, the third encyclical of Pope Francis. Speakers: Kenneth R. Himes, Stanislaus Alla, X.D. Selvaraj. Registration is available here.
European Regional Report
Doctoral Program - Call for Applications

Germany: The University of Augsburg and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich invite applications for 12 Doctoral Positions in their new International Doctorate Program (IDK) funded by the Elite Network of Bavaria: “Rethinking Environment: The Environmental Humanities and the Ecological Transformation of Society.” Deadline: April 15, 2021.

Events/Courses

France: Colloque international/Internationales Symposium/International conference in Strasbourg “Universality of Human Rights”, 5.-8.09.2021 (von Internationale Vereinigung für Moraltheologie und Sozialethik und Association de théologién pour l´étude de la morale)
 
Spain: Jornadas Ciencias y Religión ante la pandemia del Covid-19
Panel 1: 25 de febrero/19.00 horas
Panel 2: 4 de marzo/19.00 horas
Panel 3: 11 de marzo/19.00 horas
Todas las intervenciones tendrán una duración de 25-30 minutos, dando comienzo cada panel a las 19:00 horas del día indicado y según el orden del programa. Finalmente tendríamos unos 15 minutos de diálogo con los ponentes. Accesso e información.
 
Publications
 
Verbrechen und Verantwortung. Sexueller Missbrauch von Minderjährigen in kirchlichen Einrichtungen“ (Katholizismus im Umbruch 13) by Gunter Prüller-Jagenteufel and Wolfgang Treitler (Editors)
This volume engages with fundamental questions about the sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church: How was the abuse actually possible in an institution with such rigorous directives in sexual morality? Which implications should be drawn from these crimes for the selection and formation of priest candidates, for catechesis and pastoral care – and for a structural reform of the Catholic Church?
 
In his last great work, Eberhard Schockenhoff († 2020) sketches a trajectory of a new ethics of sexuality and relationships. Starting from scientific approaches to love and sexuality in the modern age, as well as taking into account biblical perspectives, he puts the Church's sexual morality to the test and presents a draft of a new sexual ethics that is attentive to contemporary forms of living and, at the same time, draws from the tradition of the church.
 
The scientific study of moral and theological virtues comes in a new English expanded translation published at our Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in a special post-secular but also COVID-19 period in 2021. The post-secular period is looking for a new place for religion in today's society and thus reflects on the topic of virtues. The COVID-19 period, in turn, showed the virtues and minerals of both individuals and groups of society, except for the size and failure of individual nations or transnational unions.
Latin American-Caribbean Regional Report
North American Regional Report
Call for Submissions and Proposals
 
AAR/SBL, Nov. 20-23, 2021: The 2021 AAR and SBL Annual Meetings will be held November 20-23, in San Antonio, TX. AAR, extended deadline March 8, 5pm EST (US) // SBL, deadline March 23.

Recent Book
Christine Firer Hinze, Radical Sufficiency: Work, Livelihood, and a US Catholic Economic Ethic (Georgetown University Press, 2021).

In this timely book, Hinze looks back at the influential teachings of priest-economist Monsignor John A. Ryan (1869-1945), who supported worker justice and defended a living wage for all Americans in the first half of the twentieth century. Radical Sufficiency offers transformative strategies and strategic policy directions for achieving the radical Christian goal of dignified work and a good livelihood for all.
 
Recent Articles/Chapters
Stephanie C. Edwards, Creating a Multidirectional Memory for Healing in the Former Yugoslavia," in Healing and Peacebuilding after War: Transforming Trauma in Bosnia and Herzegovina, edited by Julianne Funk, Nancy Good, and Marie E. Berry.
20% discount available – enter code FLR40 at checkout.

David DeCosse, Love in a time of insurrection: St. Augustine on the unity of the American people," National Catholic Reporter (Feb. 1, 2021). 
 
Conor Kelly, "Lenten Lectionary," online at Catholic Moral Theology.

Upcoming Events

Every other Thursday, 5:30pm EST (US): Political Theologies of Loss. The current moment is one of acute, intersecting, and compounding losses—millions lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, police assaults on Black life, ongoing climate emergency, and the intersection of these issues in public demonstrations seeking justice. This discussion group centers on both classic and new works on grief, grievance, and loss, paying particular attention to structures of race, sexuality, and nation. PTN Discussion Group will engage political theologies of loss every other Thursday starting Feb 11 at 5:30-7:00 p.m. ET. For more information Click Here.

March 8, 12pm EST (US): To Build Peace, Include Women: A Conversation on Human Rights, Justice, & Peace-Building. This International Women's Day, join us for a conversation on human rights, justice, and peace-building with three eminent experts: Catherine Baylin Duryea, Assistant Professor of Law, St. John's University; Emna Sammari, Human Rights Lawyer and Activist (Tunisia); Stella Sabiiti, International Peace & Security Expert & woman mediator with extensive experience with UN Women and the African Union. Register here.
 
March 11 and 18: Emily Reimer-Barry (University of San Diego) will deliver a lecture via Zoom Webinar for the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University on March 18, 7:30pm EST, "Beyond Pro-Life/Pro-Choice: Catholic Perspectives on Life Issues." You can register here. Dr. Reimer-Barry will also preach for the Candler Worship service on March 11, which can be accessed here.
 
March 18, 7pm EST (US): CTSA Member Event: Christianity and U.S. Politics after the Epiphany Insurrection: Teaching and Doing Theology in the Wake of 1.6.21. Moderated by Cathy Kaveny, Panelists: Stan Chu Ilo, Anna Floerke Scheid, Leo Guardado, J. Bryan Hehir. All interested members are invited to a CTSA-sponsored panel and conversation concerning the implications for our theological thinking and teaching of the events at the U.S. Capital on January 6, 2021, and in particular, the complex mix of cultural, racial, religious, and political dynamics and conflicts that surrounded those events. The event will encourage member participation and seeks to build bonds of collegial community in Zoom breakout rooms. Registration is required. Inquiries regarding this event may be emailed to ctsaed@gmail.com.
 
Save the Date: April 16-18, online conference: Rise Up and Walk: Catholicism and Health Care across the Globe features 17 speakers from many different countries, with a special focus on the global South. This conference will address some of the most pressing issues facing Catholic health care providers around the globe and brings together speakers from Uganda, India, Ecuador, South Korea, Kenya, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Zambia. Organized by DePaul University's Center for World Catholicism & Intercultural Theology (CWCIT), World Catholicism Week is now in its 12th year; an annual event, it gathers scholars from around the world to explore a single topic. For more information click here.
Job Vacancies
University of Wuerzburg: Professorship in Moral Theology
 
Universitätsprofessor/in (m/w/d) für Theologische Ethik – Moraltheologie (BesGr. W3)

Richard G. Starmann, Sr. Visiting Professorship Chair in Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame

Kroc Institute faculty and fellows conduct interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research on a wide range of topics related to peace and justice. The Institute announces the launch of a new one-year visiting fellowship for senior peace studies scholars doing peace research broadly construed. The visiting chair position isn't theology specific, but the possible research areas are pretty broad and there could very well be people doing work on them through a theological lens in a way that might fit. More information is available here.