Biography
After completing a BAgrSC (1988) and MAgrSC in Horticultural Science (1990), at University College Dublin, I worked in environmental monitoring, as a plant nursery operative, as a garden centre manager and later with a landscape team. Returning to full-time studies in 1996, supported by a TCD Foundation Scholarship I completed a BA in Religions in Theology. A PhD followed (2006) funded by a research grant from the then Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) and a Broad Curriculum Studentship (teaching ethics to Medical Students at TCD). Alongside teaching at TCD, I was Director of the Masters in Ecology and Religion at All Hallows College, DCU for three years (2010-2013) and taught distance-learning students theology and ethics at the Priory Institute, Tallaght (2007-2010). I have been taking tour groups to the Chester Beatty Library for more than 20 years, having been first introduced to the collection's Biblical Papyri, among other treasures, through my studies at TCD.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Integral Ecology: Autonomy, the Common Inheritance of the Earth and Creation Theology in, editor(s)Severine Deneulin and Clemens Sedmak , Integral Human Development: Catholic Social Teaching and the Capability Approach, Notre Dame, Notre Dame Press, 2023, pp170 - 186, [Russell, Cathriona]
Russell, Cathriona , Technology and Integral Ecology, New Blackfriars, February, 2022, p220 - 233
Cathriona Russell, Creation: an invitation to share God's love, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal , (Summer), 2018, 91 - 99
Russell, Cathriona, Care, Coercion and Dignity at the End of Life, Studies in Christian Ethics , 32, (1), 2018, p36 - 45
Cathriona Russell, Leaving no one behind: inequalities facing impoverished providers in marginalised economies affected by biodiversity loss and climate change, Sarajevo 2018: Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina , July 26th-29th, 2018
Cathriona Russell, Thermodynamics and Theology: Turn-of-the-century cosmologies, 1850-1920, Review of Entropic Creation:Religious Contexts of Thermodynamics and cosmology, by Krage, Helge , Approaching Religion, 7, (2), 2017, p66-68
"Demography, Poverty and Planetary Boundaries in Laudato Si" in, editor(s)McDonagh, Sean , Laudato Si': An Irish Response, Dublin, Veritas, 2017, pp173 - 196, [Russell, Cathriona ]
Russell, Cathriona, Environmental Ethics, Technology, and Nature-Romanticism, Green Foundation Ireland, Green Values, Religion and Secularism, Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin, July 1st 2017, edited by Ahern, Nuala , 2017, pp7-9
Russell, Cathriona, Christian Ethics: a guide for the perplexed, Modern Believing, 56, (3), 2015, p343 - 344
Russell, Cathriona, Faith and the Marvellous Progress of Science Realities are Greater than Ideas: Laudato Si' and the Sciences, Doctrine and Life, 65, 2015, p56 - 62
Russell, Cathriona, The Moral Disciple: an introduction to Christian Ethics, Modern Believing, 56, (4), 2015
Reconciliation between Blame and Lament in, editor(s)Heffelfinger, K. and McGlinchey, P. , Atonement as Gift: Re-Imagining the Cross for the Church and the World , Milton Keynes, Paternoster, 2014, pp24 - 30, [Russell, Cathriona]
Ethicists and clinicians: the case for collaboration in the teaching of medical ethics in, editor(s)McDonagh E, McNamara V , An Irish Reader in Modern Theology: The Legacy of the Last Fifty Years. Volume III: Medical and Bio Ethics, Dublin, Columba Press, 2013, pp25-30 , [Russell C, O'Neill D]
Developing an ethics of competence, care and communication in, editor(s)McDonagh E, MacNamara V, , An Irish Reader in Modern Theology: The Legacy of the Last Fifty Years. Volume III: Medical and Bio Ethics, Dublin, Columba Press, 2013, pp31-34 , [Russell C, O'Neill D]
Environmental Perspectives on the Genesis Flood Narrative in, Silverman, Jason (USA: Georgias Press, 2013). pp. 461-486 , Opening Heaven's Floodgates: The Genesis Flood Narrative, its Context and Reception, USA, Georgias Press, 2013, pp461 - 486, [ Russell, Cathriona]
Environmental Perspectives in Research Ethics in, editor(s)Russell, C. & Hogan, L & Junker-Kenny M. , Ethics for Graduate Researchers: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach, Oxford, Elsevier, 2012, pp209 - 226, [Russell, Cathriona]
Russell, Cathriona, Hogan, Linda, Junker-Kenny, Maureen, Ethics for Graduate Researchers: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach, Oxford, Elsevier, 2012
Russell, Cathriona, Burden-Sharing in a Changing Climate: which principles and practices can theologians endorse, Studies in Christian Ethics, 24, 2011, p67 - 76
Russell, Cathriona, A Theology of Love, Doctrine and Life, 60, (6), 2010
Russell, Cathriona, Is there a Christian case for assisted dying?, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal , 32, (2), 2009, p148 - 150
Russell, Cathriona , Autonomy and Food Biotechnology in Theological Ethics , Oxford, PeterLang, 2009
Russell, Cathriona, Selfish Genes and Christian Ethics, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal , 31, (3), 2008, p220 - 222
Russell, Cathriona, The 'Irish Elk' and the Concept of Contingency, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal Darwin Anniversary Issue, 2008, p169 - 177
Russell, Cathriona, Patenting Life? Is corporate Greed forcing us to eat genetically modified food?, Administration, 52, (1), 2004, p108 - 110
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Cathriona Russell, Creation, the common inheritance of the biosphere, and the commodification of the proximal sky, Creation, Transformation, Theology, Osnabrück University, Germany, 25-28 August, 2021
Cathriona Russell, Not having babies won't save the planet, Suas Magazine, IV, 2019, p17-18
Russell, Cathriona, The Common Inheritance of the Earth: an undertaking of mutuality, Elemental Bioethics: International Academy for Bioethical Enquiry, Maynooth, Ireland, July 14th-18th, 2019
Russell, Cathriona, An Anthropocentric Perspective in Christian Environmental Ethics-the Role of the Steward in Safeguarding Creation, International Symposium on Environment & Religion, Istanbul, Turkey, May 2008, 2018
Russell, Cathriona, Creation, Capability and Care for our Common Home, Ecology, the Bible and Ethics, Trinity College Dublin, March, 2016, 2016
Russell, Cathriona, Realities are Greater than Ideas: Laudato Si' and Environmental Ethics, Living Laudato Si' Society of African Missions Summer School, Dromantine, Co Down, June 2016, 2016
Russell, Cathriona, Approaches to Reading Laudato Si', Laudato Si': Presentation Sisters Ceist Seminar, Milltown Park, Dublin, September 2015, 2015
Russell, Cathriona, Urban Sustainability, Capability and Laudato Si', Capability and Catholic Social Teaching Colloquium, Ghent, Belgium, August, 2015, 2015
Russell, Cathriona, Autonomy, Stewardship and Subsidiarity as Ethical Criteria for Sustainability, Ethics in the World Church: In the Currents of History: From Trento to the Future, Trento, Italy, July 2010, 2010
Russell, Cathriona, Burden-Sharing in a Changing Climate: which principles and practices can theologians endorse, Studies in Christian Ethics, Theological Reflections on Climate Change, Cambridge, September 2010, 2010
Research Expertise
Description
Environmental ethics and hermeneutics, research ethics, biomedical ethics, development ethics, science and religion, cosmologies and creation theologies.Recognition
Awards and Honours
Broad Curriculum Studentship, TCD (PG)
Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Scholarship
Trinity College Postgraduate Grant
Foundation Scholarship
Church Formularies Prize and Ryan Prize for Systematic Theology
Bishop Forster's Divinity Premium, Theological
Newport White Prize for Greek Texts
Carson Biblical Prize
1983 Prize in Biblical Greek
Memberships
Theological Reference Group (Invited), Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
Capability and Catholic Social Teaching Colloquium (Invited),
St James's Hospital &Adelaide & Meath National Children's Hospital (Tallaght) Research Ethics Committee
Society for Study of Christian Ethics (UK)
Treasurer Irish Theological Association
Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church Network
Chester Beatty Library Volunteer Tour-Guide