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Dr. Cathriona Russell
Assistant Professor, School of Religion

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] Book Chapter, 2023

Russell, Cathriona , Liturgy and Urban Ecology: Vital Connections, Doctrine & Life, 72, (7), 2022, p35 - 42 Journal Article, 2022

Russell, Cathriona , Technology and Integral Ecology, New Blackfriars, February, 2022, p220 - 233 Journal Article, 2022

Cathriona Russell, Creation: an invitation to share God's love, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal , (Summer), 2018, 91 - 99 Journal Article, 2018

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 Poster, 2018

Russell, Cathriona, Care, Coercion and Dignity at the End of Life, Studies in Christian Ethics , 32, (1), 2018, p36 - 45 Journal Article, 2018 URL

"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 ] Book Chapter, 2017

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 Review, 2017 URL

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 Conference Paper, 2017 URL

Russell, Cathriona, The Moral Disciple: an introduction to Christian Ethics, Modern Believing, 56, (4), 2015 Review, 2015

Russell, Cathriona, Christian Ethics: a guide for the perplexed, Modern Believing, 56, (3), 2015, p343 - 344 Review, 2015

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 Journal Article, 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] Book Chapter, 2014

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] Book Chapter, 2013 URL

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] Book Chapter, 2013

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] Book Chapter, 2013 URL

Russell, Cathriona, Hogan, Linda, Junker-Kenny, Maureen, Ethics for Graduate Researchers: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach, Oxford, Elsevier, 2012 Book, 2012

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] Book Chapter, 2012

Russell, Cathriona, Burden-Sharing in a Changing Climate: which principles and practices can theologians endorse, Studies in Christian Ethics, 24, 2011, p67 - 76 Journal Article, 2011

Russell, Cathriona, A Theology of Love, Doctrine and Life, 60, (6), 2010 Review, 2010

Russell, Cathriona, Is there a Christian case for assisted dying?, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal , 32, (2), 2009, p148 - 150 Review, 2009

Russell, Cathriona , Autonomy and Food Biotechnology in Theological Ethics , Oxford, PeterLang, 2009 Book, 2009

Russell, Cathriona, Selfish Genes and Christian Ethics, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal , 31, (3), 2008, p220 - 222 Review, 2008

Russell, Cathriona, The 'Irish Elk' and the Concept of Contingency, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal Darwin Anniversary Issue, 2008, p169 - 177 Journal Article, 2008

Russell, Cathriona, Patenting Life? Is corporate Greed forcing us to eat genetically modified food?, Administration, 52, (1), 2004, p108 - 110 Review, 2004

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 Conference Paper, 2021

Cathriona Russell, Not having babies won't save the planet, Suas Magazine, IV, 2019, p17-18 Journal Article, 2019 TARA - Full Text

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 Conference Paper, 2019

Russell, Cathriona, Creation, Capability and Care for our Common Home, Ecology, the Bible and Ethics, Trinity College Dublin, March, 2016, 2016 Conference Paper, 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 Conference Paper, 2016

Russell, Cathriona, Approaches to Reading Laudato Si', Laudato Si': Presentation Sisters Ceist Seminar, Milltown Park, Dublin, September 2015, 2015 Conference Paper, 2015

Russell, Cathriona, Urban Sustainability, Capability and Laudato Si', Capability and Catholic Social Teaching Colloquium, Ghent, Belgium, August, 2015, 2015 Conference Paper, 2015

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 Conference Paper, 2010

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 Conference Paper, 2010

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, 2008 Conference Paper, 2008

Research Expertise

Description

Environmental ethics and hermeneutics, research ethics, biomedical ethics, development ethics, science and religion, cosmologies and creation theologies.

Keywords

Agricultural Ethics; Animal Ethics; Biodiversity & Inequality; Bioethics; Demographics and Environment; Development and Capability Theory; Environmental Ethics; Environmental Hermeneutics; Ethics in Science & Technology; Medical Ethics; Narrative Theology; Philosophy of Gardens; Research Ethics and Governance; Theological Cosmology & Anthropology; Theological Ethics; Theological Hermeneutics; Urban Cosmology; Urban Environments

Recognition

Awards and Honours

Broad Curriculum Studentship, TCD (PG) 2003-06

Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Scholarship 2000-3

Trinity College Postgraduate Grant 2000

Foundation Scholarship 1998

Church Formularies Prize and Ryan Prize for Systematic Theology 1998

Bishop Forster's Divinity Premium, Theological 1998

Newport White Prize for Greek Texts 1997

Carson Biblical Prize 1997

1983 Prize in Biblical Greek 1997 & 1998

Memberships

Theological Reference Group (Invited), Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) 2013 – 2019

Capability and Catholic Social Teaching Colloquium (Invited), 2013 – Ongoing

St James's Hospital &Adelaide & Meath National Children's Hospital (Tallaght) Research Ethics Committee 2009 – 2010

Society for Study of Christian Ethics (UK) 2011 – 2019

Treasurer Irish Theological Association 2010 – 2013

Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church Network 2019 – Ongoing

Chester Beatty Library Volunteer Tour-Guide 2000 – Ongoing