Catholic Bioethicist Dr. Charles Camosy to Visit Atlanta Campus Sept. 29-30

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ATLANTA – Dr. Charles Camosy, associate professor of theology at Fordham University in the

 Bronx, New York, and a leading scholar in the field of bioethics, will visit Mercer University's Cecil B. Day Campus, Sept. 29-30, as a guest of the Center for Theology and Public Life, McAfee School of Theology and the Office of Student Affairs in Atlanta.

“I consider Dr. Camosy one of the most important young voices in Christian bioethics today. His work ranges across such issues as neonatal intensive care issues, abortion, Christian treatment of animals, the work of Peter Singer and more. He exemplifies a holistic commitment to the sacred worth of all human beings and the dignity of animal life, as well,” said Dr. David Gushee, director of the Center for Theology and Public Life and Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, who invited Dr. Camosy to visit Mercer.

Dr. Camosy will speak at four venues on the Atlanta campus, beginning with a lunch presentation on the theme “Can We Do Bioethics Without Religion?” on Sept. 29 at noon in the Trustees Dining Room. This event is open to the public, and a free meal will be provided to the first 75 Mercer students in attendance.

He will dialogue with students in Dr. Gushee's Pastoral Bioethics course about his upcoming book on abortion, on Sept. 29 from 6-9 p.m.

Dr. Camosy will speak in McAfee School of Theology chapel on “Moral Consistency” on Sept. 30 from 10:45-11:45 a.m.

He will dialogue with students in Dr. Gushee's Christian Ethics course on the themes of love and justice on Sept. 30 from 6-9 p.m.

“Dr. Camosy will anchor the bioethics work at Fordham University for years to come. He is well-versed in bioethics, secular and Christian moral thought, and a range of specific issues. He is loyal to his Catholic faith tradition while broadly engaged in the global bioethics conversation,” said Dr. Gushee. “His is an important voice to bring to Mercer University. I am grateful to the Office of Student Affairs and to McAfee School of Theology in partnering with the Center for Theology and Public Life for these events.”

Dr. Camosy earned his Ph.D. in Christian ethics at the University of Notre Dame, where he also earned a master's degree in systematic theology and a bachelor's degree in philosophy as well as communication and theatre.

He has published three books –For Love of Animals: Christian Ethics, Consistent Action (Franciscan Media, 2013),Peter Singer and Christian Ethics: Beyond Polarization (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and Too Expensive to Treat? Finitude, Tragedy, and the Neonatal ICU (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2010).

Dr. Camosy was a founding member of the organizing committee for Open Hearts, Open Minds and Fair Minded Words, an international conference designed to think and speak differently about abortion. He is founder and co-director of the Catholic Conversation Project and an editor and contributor to catholicmoraltheology.com.

He serves on the ethics committee of the Children's Hospital of New York and on the advisory board of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good. He co-convenes the bioethics section for the Catholic Theological Society of America and the ethics section for the College Theology Society, and is a member of the international working group “Contending Modernities,” which explores how Catholicism, Islam and Secular Liberalism can productively interact in regard to ethical issues.

About the Center for Theology and Public Life

The Mercer University Center for Theology and Public Life (CTPL) promotes public dialogue, research and constructive solutions related to important public issues to which theology and ethical reflection can make a significant contribution. The CTPL plans, hosts, and supports events that model civic, constructive and substantive conversation about major issues in public life such as poverty and economic justice, human rights, crime and the death penalty, international peacemaking, biomedical ethics, family and sexuality, church-state relations, national identity, immigration, etc. The CTPL seeks whenever possible to encourage dialogue toward constructive solutions for the common good. For more information, visit ctpl.mercer.edu/.

About the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology

The James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology was established in 1996. Located in Atlanta, on Mercer University's Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus, the School of Theology offers degree programs leading to a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. The School of Theology also offers several joint programs: an M.Div.-Master of Business Administration, M.Div.-Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and M.Div.-Master of Science in Organizational Leadership with a Concentration in Non-Profit. For more information, visit theology.mercer.edu.