From Politics to Theology: Responding to Roman Catholic Ecclesial Control of Reproductive Ethics

Abstract

Shifts in U.S. health-care laws have put Roman Catholic teachings about contraception and abortion front and center in the public square, where the primary discussants are reporters, politicians, and Church leaders.1 Reporters and politicians are often ill-equipped to address abortion or contraception as it relates to Roman Catholic theology. Thus the discussion lacks historical and theological nuance, leaving the Roman Catholic hierarchy’s position beyond scrutiny. Additionally, the hierarchy attempts to ensure they are the only theological voice by directly silencing dissenting opinions related to procreative freedom and responsibility. Simply put, the Church continues to systematically silence theological dialogue, its own history, and, consequently, future developments in moral theology related to contraception and abortion, and sexual ethics more broadly. This is not a new development, but one that calls for a renewed response. Thirty years ago, Beverly Wildung Harrison’s foundational text Our Right to Choose addressed this specific issue, and yet the issue persists. In sketching the political and theological landscape of her time, Harrison compared the moral (characterized by a logical autonomy of reason based on a set of technical, philosophical assumptions) versus theological (characterized by the beliefs, teachings, and sacred texts of a particular religion) approach in debates for