This volume introduces students to the history of cultural and theological responses to abortion as background for understanding a diversity of ethical positions in contemporary Christian, Jewish, and Muslim writings. Politicized debates about abortion are often presented in terms of a binary rhetoric of prolife versus prochoice; however, this collection of essays shows how that binary often breaks down when abortion is seen from different religious perspectives and in light of the voices of women themselves. While abortion is a global phenomenon, this volume focuses on the U.S. context. American abortion politics and culture wars have been dominated by Christian voices; nevertheless, Jewish and Muslim abortion ethics engage many of the same issues from different cultural and religious perspectives. Finally, this volume presents important examples of recent social scientific studies about the relationship of religion and abortion in the diverse cultural, racial, and economic fabric of American society. Pedagogical features include: - Introduction to the subject matter by the editors - Introductory essays to all five parts of the book - Questions for classroom discussion Additional pedagogical materials can be found at: https://abortionreligionreader.com/

Many women of faith are interested in having deep conversations with their friends and families about issues they face in their personal lives. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of feminist and theologically progressive materials for these women to turn to for counsel or advice. Simultaneously, there are a growing number of theologically trained biblical scholars, theologians, and ministers who are experiencing similar life challenges, but who are generally discouraged from writing about these experiences in ways that would be accessible to the general public. This book bridges the chasm between Christian laywomen and feminist theologians. For the last fifty years, feminist theologians have sought to reimagine Christian theology in ways that speak to the realities and complexities of women's lives. They have also sought to use women's experience as the starting point for theological reflection in the same way that men's lives have shaped the history of Christian theology for the past 2000 years. In this book, feminist Christian scholars of theology and religion use the tools of their trade to examine powerful personal life experiences and to search for new and empowering ways of understanding the power of the sacred as they have experienced it.

This volume introduces students to the history of cultural and theological responses to abortion as background for understanding a diversity of ethical positions in contemporary Christian, Jewish, and Muslim writings. Politicized debates about abortion are often presented in terms of a binary rhetoric of prolife versus prochoice; however, this collection of essays shows how that binary often breaks down when abortion is seen from different religious perspectives and in light of the voices of women themselves. While abortion is a global phenomenon, this volume focuses on the U.S. context. American abortion politics and culture wars have been dominated by Christian voices; nevertheless, Jewish and Muslim abortion ethics engage many of the same issues from different cultural and religious perspectives. Finally, this volume presents important examples of recent social scientific studies about the relationship of religion and abortion in the diverse cultural, racial, and economic fabric of American society. Pedagogical features include: - Introduction to the subject matter by the editors - Introductory essays to all five parts of the book - Questions for classroom discussion Additional pedagogical materials can be found at: https://abortionreligionreader.com/

Twenty-five years ago, historian of religions Jonathan Z. Smith wrote: ''The quest for the powers and skills of informed judgment for the dual capacities of appreciation and criticism might well stand as the explicit goal of entry level of college curriculum.'' Regardless of specific course content, the polymethodic face of Religious and Undergraduate Research is increasingly identified as a particularly effective pedagogy for teaching and learning these skills in the discipline. Teaching Undergraduate Research in Religious Studies offers an introduction to the philosophy and practice of Undergraduate Research in Religious Studies and takes up several significant ongoing questions related to it. For those new to Undergraduate Research, it provides an overview of fundamental issues and pedagogical questions and practical models for application in the classroom. For seasoned mentors, the book acts as a dialogue partner on emerging issues and offers insight into pertinent questions in the field based on the experience of recognized experts. Individual chapters focus on select theoretical and practical topics including the nature of collaboration between faculty and students, what it means for undergraduate students to make an ''original contribution'' in their research, how to identify and shape a research project that is appropriate and manageable, the types of institutional and professional support systems needed to adequately support and reward faculty who participate in this kind of pedagogy, and procedures for adequate and appropriate assessment.

Many women of faith are interested in having deep conversations with their friends and families about issues they face in their personal lives. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of feminist and theologically progressive materials for these women to turn to for counsel or advice. Simultaneously, there are a growing number of theologically trained biblical scholars, theologians, and ministers who are experiencing similar life challenges, but who are generally discouraged from writing about these experiences in ways that would be accessible to the general public. This book bridges the chasm between Christian laywomen and feminist theologians. For the last fifty years, feminist theologians have sought to reimagine Christian theology in ways that speak to the realities and complexities of women's lives. They have also sought to use women's experience as the starting point for theological reflection in the same way that men's lives have shaped the history of Christian theology for the past 2000 years. In this book, feminist Christian scholars of theology and religion use the tools of their trade to examine powerful personal life experiences and to search for new and empowering ways of understanding the power of the sacred as they have experienced it.

Rebecca Todd Peters argues for an ethic of solidarity as a new model for how people of faith in the first world can live with integrity in the midst of global injustice and how we can shape our lives in ways that move us toward a more just future. Solidarity Ethics seeks to address concretely the economic and social structures that undergird the globalized context of the contemporary era and the problems brought to light within those 'vanishing' boundaries. Seeing religious communities as the primary source for moral and social education, Peters argues for a concrete ethics rooted in the Christian tradition of justice and transformation generative of deep patterns of solidarity and relationality. Utilizing these theologically rich resources, a substantive ethics of relational reflection, action, and construction is provided as an avenue for building viable strategies for social transformation.

Today's complex social and economic problems leave many people in the affluent world feeling either overwhelmed or ambivalent. Even the small percentage of us who have examined the ethics behind our financial decisions and overcome the often-deterring factors of self-interest rarely know what to do to make any difference. By providing tools for examination and concrete actions for individuals, communities, and society at large, "Justice in a Global Economy" guides its readers through many of today's complex societal issues, including land use, immigration, corporate accountability, and environmental and economic justice. Beginning with a basic introduction to the impact of economic globalization, the book provides both critical assessments of the current political-economic structures and examples of people and communities who are actively working to transform society. Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion and reflection.

Encouraging Christians to call for public policies that benefit those most vulnerable in our nation, "To Do Justice "offers tools for studying complex domestic social problems such as Social Security, immigration, the environment, and public education, and serves as a guidebook to becoming involved in social action. Rooted in Christian tradition, each essay analyzes a contemporary problem from social, biblical, and theological perspectives before providing directions for public policy. These engaged ethicists from across the mainline denominations provide concrete examples of how progressive-minded Christians can work for justice in response to these moral dilemmas. With discussion questions in each chapter, this book is an excellent resource for classrooms--both in colleges and in churches.

Rebecca Todd Peters provides a helpful overview of the complicated contemporary debates about globalization. By engaging in a careful reading of the cacophony of views on the subject, she unearths four identifiable positions within these debates, each offering a different moral vision of the world. As she observes, policy debates about the direction in which globalization should move are morally serious debates about what values humanity will choose as most significant in the post-Cold War world. "In Search of the Good Life" argues that our moral task is to ensure that globalization proceeds in ways that honour creation and life, and that any theory of globalization ought to be grounded in values that emphasize a democratized understanding of power, encourage care for the planet, and promote people's social wellbeing.

Beverly Harrison has long fought for women and others at the margins, challenging the subjugating ways in which women's intellectual contributions, their gifts of ministerial leadership, and their reproductive capacity and sexual identity have been defined. This collection of essays and lectures, presented over the course of her career, demonstrates the progression of Harrison's contribution to the field of Christian ethics and the evolution of her thought in response to changing social realities.