[January 21, 2025 – Online] — With the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the resulting elimination of legal access to abortion in 25 states and counting, Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) is offering a public, non-credit, six-week online course to equip people of faith with the education and practical tools needed to shift the theological narrative around this pressing issue. The course, The Sacred Work of Reproductive Justice, will be taught by the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Todd Peters, a renowned feminist social ethicist and advocate for reproductive justice, and will run from February 4 to March 11, 2025.
As Christians lead the current rush to criminalize abortion, this course will reframe the issue as one of reproductive justice—a framework developed by Black women activists in 1994—and explore the church’s responsibility in changing the public narrative about abortion in the country.
Why Take This Course? Most liberal Protestant denominations—including Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Unitarian Universalist, and Episcopalian—have official positions in support of reproductive rights. Yet, these perspectives are often unheard, considered taboo, or held privately—leaving the theological conversation to be dominated by conservative perspectives. This course aims to address that void, providing participants with the theological foundation to articulate their support for reproductive justice and take public action demonstrating that support.
The Very Rev. Lydia Kesley Bucklin, President and Dean of EDS, notes, “As a Christian leader in support of reproductive justice, courses such as this are vital, especially when a majority of Christians support abortion access and reproductive justice for all, but the dominant narrative is that abortion is sin and Christians universally oppose it. EDS is eager to offer this course to equip Christian leaders to shift the narrative around the systemic injustices—poverty, racism, and gender inequality—that prevent parents and families from thriving.”
Course Highlights:
- Week One: The Christian roots of the “justification” framework in contemporary abortion discourse.
- Week Two: How abortion is weaponized in culture wars to promote patriarchal Christian views.
- Week Three: The origins and impact of the Reproductive Justice movement.
- Week Four: Misogynist interpretations of scripture that shape cultural expectations about sexuality, mothering, and abortion.
- Week Five: Christian ethics on reproductive justice, addressing issues like the Black maternal mortality crisis and mothers and families experiencing poverty
- Week Six: Strategies for congregational engagement in reproductive justice advocacy.
Participants will engage in two-hour weekly Zoom classes, one-hour webinars, assigned readings, and a public project, such as writing an op-ed, sermon, or liturgy. The course is capped at 25 students to foster an intimate and collaborative learning environment.
Who Should Attend? This course is ideal for Christians seeking to deepen their understanding of reproductive justice and engage in public theology: laypeople, seminarians, students, organizers, and clergy.
About the Instructor: Rev. Dr. Rebecca Todd Peters one of the country’s leading ethicists on abortion rights. She is Professor of Religious Studies and Founding Director of the Poverty and Social Justice Program at Elon University. She is the author or editor of nine books and more than twenty-five peer-reviewed publications. Her most recent book is Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice (Beacon Press, 2018). She is the President-elect of the Society of Christian Ethics, a clinic escort, a founding member of SACReD (Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity), and serves on PPFA’s Clergy Advocacy Board.
Cost and Registration: EDS is committed to accessibility, offering a three-tiered, pay-what-you-can pricing structure: $300, $150, or $75. Financial aid is available upon request. To register or inquire about aid, email
EDS invites individuals who are interested in beginning or furthering their theological education to shift narratives around reproductive justice in their faith communities and in the public square to participate in this course.
Registration Deadline: January 31, 2025
For more information or to register, visit: https://www.eds.edu/programs/the-sacred-work-of-reproductive-justice
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Episcopal Divinity School is committed to nurturing moral leadership through theological education, spiritual formation, and community transformation. EDS remains steadfast in its mission to dismantle racism, promote social justice, and engage in critical public discourse.
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