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| author | Natalie Elizabeth Williams |
| title | Christian Ethics of Divorce: Shame, Resistance, and Moral Obligations to the Self |
| abstract | This dissertation investigates political and Christian responses to divorce in the U.S., focusing on pro-marriage lobbying organizations and the policy statements of the Roman Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church. While many scholars in the field of Christian social ethics have begun to analyze the justness of the institution of marriage, this project makes divorce and the ending of romantic partnerships its focus. The project argues that a public discourse of shame and failure regarding divorce is deeply rooted in a Christian history of shame surrounding gender and sexuality more broadly. Using feminist and queer theory critiques, the project uncovers the heteronormative assumptions and racial and socioeconomic-class biases in divorce policies. These policies, both political and religious, have contributed to the public shaming rhetoric that serves to connect life-long heterosexual marriage with productive citizenship and Christian moral worth. The project requires Christian social ethicists to rethink Christian tools for responding to divorce, relying on resistance ethics methods to argue that truth telling and the pursuit of individual flourishing are consistent Christian values. Furthermore, the project contributes to a wider conversation in Christian social ethics regarding the changing moral norms of romantic partnerships in contemporary society. |
| school | Drew Theological School |
| degree | Ph.D. (2015) |
| advisors | Traci C West
Kate Ott |
| committee | J. Terry Todd |
| full text | NEWilliams.pdf |
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