Reproductive Justice, Faith, & Agency

This seminar will explore changing perceptions of personhood and the religious & political foundations of the abortion debate (primarily in the US, but other locations will be touched on as well), miscarriage, LGBTQI representation, and how reproductive justice and bodily autonomy are interconnected issues that tap into many systems of oppression, such as systemic racism. We will explore the current debates over personhood from theological to legal platforms: Who is this presented as impacting and who is being ignored or silenced? When does life begin? Who decides? Does that stance reflect the religious traditions it claims to? We will address the problem with Pro-Life/Pro-Choice dichotomy for people of faith, and proposals for moving beyond it. We will address the intersectional aspects of the issue and intersectional repercussions with the loss of rights from the repeal of Roe v. Wade. As the civil rights activist Audre Lorde, a self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” stated: “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”
The course will culminate with student-led presentations of their research projects based on the individual interests of the students, resulting in a collective resource on reproductive justice from a variety of faith perspectives.

As it is a 1.5 unit upper-division course it will meet every other week of the semester, the format will be seminar style, students are expected to have completed the assigned readings and be ready to discuss materials.
Relates to Thresholds: 2. Prophetic Witness and Work 6. Theology in Culture and Context.

Prerequisite: ECO Core
Faculty Consent Required.
Enrollment max: 15. Auditors excluded.