Margaret A. Farley (born April 15, 1935) is an American
religious sister
A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pr ...
and a member of the Catholic
Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...
. She was Gilbert L. Stark Professor Emerita of Christian Ethics at
Yale University Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
, where she taught
Christian ethics
Christian ethics, also known as moral theology, is a multi-faceted ethical system: it is a virtue ethic which focuses on building moral character, and a deontological ethic which emphasizes duty. It also incorporates natural law ethics, whic ...
from 1971 to 2007. Farley is the first woman appointed to serve full-time on the Yale School board, along with
Henri Nouwen
Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (January 24, 1932 – September 21, 1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian. His interests were rooted primarily in psychology, pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice and commu ...
as its first
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
faculty members. She is a past president of
Catholic Theological Society of America The Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) is a professional association of Catholic theologians founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition. Its members are primarily in the United States and C ...
.
[''The New York Times'']
Laurie Goodstein and Rachel Donadio, "Vatican Scolds Nun for Book on Sexuality," June 4, 2012
accessed June 6, 2012
Farley's controversial book, ''Just Love'' (2006), brought criticism and censure from the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
, specifically the
Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, for moral views which oppose the teachings of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. However, it has received both support and endorsement from the groups
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is one of two associations of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States (the other being the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious). LCWR includes ov ...
and the
Catholic Theological Society of America The Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) is a professional association of Catholic theologians founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition. Its members are primarily in the United States and C ...
.
[
]
Academic career
Farley received Bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...
and Masters of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degrees from the University of Detroit
The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic universi ...
, followed by a degree in philosophy and a doctoral degree from Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
She began her teaching career at the Yale Divinity School in 1971 and earned her doctorate there two years later. She appeared on the cover of the ''Yale Alumni Magazine
The ''Yale Alumni Magazine'' is an alumni magazine about Yale University. It was founded in 1891.
The ''Magazine''s statement of purpose approved on June 16, 2003 says:''Yale Alumni Magazine''"Statement of purpose" Retrieved April 7, 2007.
Y ...
'' in 1986 in connection with a feature article on teachers of note.
In 1986, Farley published ''Personal Commitments: Making, Keeping Breaking'', which a reviewer in the ''Journal of Religion'' wrote "charts out what to watch for, when as a counselor, you are helping someone think through commitments" and focuses on "long-term commitments involving sexual intimacy". He added: "She does not display her erudition but hides it in footnotes. She expresses herself almost always in words available to the nonspecialist. She is courageous, breaking new ground." He singled out "the way she succinctly links the long heritage of Jewish and Christian thinking about 'covenant' with her earlier exploration of human relationships." A reviewer in the ''Journal of the American Academy of Religion'' called it "a valuable contribution to the literature of Christian ethics, and in particular to the discussion of the value of Christian love and special relationships. Farley has combined psychological subtlety and moral seriousness in such a way as to produce that rarity, a book that will be of great interest to the scholar, and yet would be useful in a parish or a counselor's office as well."
Farley received the John Courtney Murray Award The John Courtney Murray Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Catholic Theological Society of America, named after John Courtney Murray, the great American theologian known for his work on religious liberty.
Winners
* 2021: Susan K. Wood, S ...
from the Catholic Theological Society of America The Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) is a professional association of Catholic theologians founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition. Its members are primarily in the United States and C ...
(CTSA) in 1992. She has served as president of both the CTSA and the Society of Christian Ethics. Yale Divinity School presented a conference in her honor called Just Love: Feminism, Theology and Ethics in a Global Context in 2005.
In 2008 Farley received the University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
Grawemeyer Award
The Grawemeyer Awards () are five awards given annually by the University of Louisville. The prizes are presented to individuals in the fields of education, ideas improving world order, music composition, religion, and psychology. The religion awa ...
in Religion. A ''festschrift
In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...
'' in her honor was published that same year.
Other activities
In 1984 Farley was one of 97 theologians and religious persons who signed "A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion
"A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion", alternatively referred to by its pull quote "A Diversity of Opinions Regarding Abortion Exists Among Committed Catholics" or simply "The New York Times ad", was a full-page advertisement placed on ...
", calling for pluralism and discussion within the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
regarding the church's position on abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
.
Early in her career, Farley called the ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
of women a "moral imperative".
In 1987, discussing a Vatican document on procreation, Farley criticized its authors for not consulting women and especially "parents who are struggling with these issues". She said its exclusion of all means but sexual intercourse between husband and wife "were not justified in terms of the complexity of the questions involved" and predicted that "People making decisions will not take it seriously. It doesn't offer them the answers they need. The church, by acting in an authoritarian way loses the kind of moral power regarding these issues."
Asked in 1997 to comment on the decline of female enrollment in divinity schools in the United States, following their increased presence in the 1970s, Farley said that It's hard for them to have all that education and to know they can't be ordained. It challenges their faith and commitment. The possibility of ordination is looking dimmer, but I'm still optimistic that someday it may be possible or even needed. Catholicism is the only denomination with a shortage of clergy.
In 2001, when the Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
theologian Avery Dulles
Avery Robert Dulles (; 1918–2008) was an American Jesuit priest, theologian, and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Dulles served on the faculty of Woodstock College from 1960 to 1974, of the Catholic University of America from 1974 to 1988, a ...
was named a cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
and explained that the theologian's role was "to show why the church is teaching what she is", Farley contributed to a discussion of the changing role of the academic theologian. She said the theologian could play "an exploratory role" and added: "If you're going to ask questions, you may come up with some wrong answers, but you may come up with new insights. The best kind of theologian is one who is anchored in the tradition" but understands that it needs to address future generations.
In 2002, Farley gave the Madeleva Lecture at St. Mary's College (Indiana).
Farley participated in the Sisters of Mercy study on tubal ligation
Tubal ligation (commonly known as having one's "tubes tied") is a surgical procedure for female sterilization in which the fallopian tubes are permanently blocked, clipped or removed. This prevents the fertilization of eggs by sperm and thus th ...
.
Farley and fellow Mercy Sister Eileen P. Hogan founded the All-Africa Conference, a project intended to bring together African women religious to develop strategies for responding to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Farley currently holds the title of Professor Emerita at Yale Divinity School.
''Just Love'' (2006)
Farley published ''Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics'' in 2006. The critical reception was "widespread praise", leading to its use as a textbook in college courses on sexual ethics.[USA Today]
Alessandro Speciale, "Vatican censors nun's book on sexual ethics"
accessed June 8, 2012 A reviewer in ''Commonweal'' noted that Farley "at times ... has become a point of polarization", called the book "an important resource and spur for further collaboration among Christians and others on the knotty issues of sexual ethics", but faulted it for "pay nglittle attention to the ecclesial character of sexual ethics" and asked for "a more robust engagement with both the problems and possibilities offered by biblical witness." He hoped the book would "escape the sort of polarized responses that the temper of the times seems to elicit."
On March 29, 2010, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from Heresy in Christianity, heresy and is ...
wrote to Farley, detailing doctrinal problems that it found in ''Just Love''. Farley replied on October 28, 2010. The Congregation considered her response unsatisfactory and, because of the errors it discerned in a book had been "a cause of confusion among the faithful", commissioned the book to be reviewed by experts. On the basis of the experts' evaluation it decided on June 8, 2011, that the book did contain erroneous propositions and requested that she correct those propositions. It received a further response from Farley together with the opinions of her current religious
Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...
superior and of the superior's predecessor. Considering this further response inadequate, it decided on December 14, 2011, to publish a Notification about what it considered to be problems. The Notification was issued on June 4, 2012, and mentioned specifically her views on "masturbation, homosexual acts, homosexual unions, the indissolubility of marriage and the problem of divorce and remarriage". The Notification concludes:.[IN LINGUA ORIGINALE Notification of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding the book ''Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics'' by Sister Margaret A. Farley, R.S.M.]
/ref>
The congregation thus noted that Farley's teachings were a "defective understanding of the objective nature of natural moral law" and were "in direct contradiction with Catholic teaching in the field of sexual morality" and that such beliefs "pose grave harm" and counter the official teachings and moral tenets of the Roman Catholic Church.
Farley commented that the book offers "contemporary interpretations" of justice and fairness in human sexual relations, moving away from a "taboo morality" and drawing on "present-day scientific, philosophical, theological, and biblical resources." Farley also said: "I can only clarify that the book was not intended to be an expression of current official Catholic teaching, nor was it aimed specifically against this teaching. It is of a different genre altogether."
Farley's religious superior, Patricia McDermott, commented that she was sad that the Vatican had found fault with "the significant pastoral and ethical thinking that are represented in arley'sbook." The dean of Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
, Harold W. Attridge
Harold William Attridge (born November 24, 1946) is an American New Testament scholar known for his work in New Testament exegesis, especially the Epistle to the Hebrews, the study of Hellenistic Judaism, and the history of the early Church. He i ...
, a Catholic layman, alongside 15 other scholars, issued a statement in support of Farley.
The Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
's "formal censure" of Farley's work and its statements related to her book, ''Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics'', brought Farley's work wider public attention than she had ever received, "causing it", according to ''New York Times'' columnist Maureen Dowd
Maureen Brigid Dowd (; born January 14, 1952) is an American columnist for ''The New York Times'' and an author.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Dowd worked for ''The Washington Star'' and ''Time'', writing news, sports and feature articles. ...
, "to shoot from obscurity to the top tier of Amazon.com's best-seller list".[ Dowd called the Vatican statement "the latest chapter in the Vatican's thuggish crusade to push American nuns—and all Catholic women—back into moldy subservience."][''New York Times'']
Maureen Dowd, "Is Pleasure a Sin?" June 5, 2012
accessed June 5, 2012 Several news publications both in print and in media maintain that Farley was not writing a book on Catholic catechism
A catechism (; from grc, κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult c ...
, but an ecumenical discussion "distinguishing of practical and speculative questions from atholicmagisterial or official teaching."[
On June 8, 2012, Farley addressed a session devoted to the Vatican's assessment of her book at the annual meeting of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA). She said it reflected conflicting understandings of the theologian's role and concluded:
The CTSA membership voted "overwhelmingly" in favor of a statement of support for her.][''National Catholic Reporter'']
Joshua J. McElwee, "Theological society endorses Farley, elects leadership," June 8, 2012
accessed June 13, 2012
Selected works
*''A Study in the Ethics of Commitment within the Context of Theories of Human Love and Temporality'' (1978)
*''Personal Commitments: Beginning, Keeping, Changing'' (Harper & Row, 1986)
*''Compassionate Respect: A Feminist Approach to Medical Ethics and Other Questions'' (2002)
*''Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics'' (Continuum, 2006)
*Articles
**"Power and Powerlessness: A Case in Point" (re tubal ligation controversy), ''Proceedings of the Catholic Theological Society of America'', vol. 37 (1982)
**"Feminist Theology and Bioethics," in Barbara Hilkert Andolsen, Christine E. Gudorf, and Mary D. Pellauer, eds., ''Women's Consciousness, Women's Conscience: A Reader in Feminist Ethics'' (Winston Press, 1985), 285-305
**"Moral Discourse in the Public Arena," in William W. May, ed., ''Vatican Authority and American Catholic Dissent'' (Crossroad Publishing, 1987), 168-186
**"Response to James Hanigan and Charles Curran," in Saul M. Olyan and Martha C. Nussbaum, ''Sexual Orientation & Human Rights in American Religious Discourse'' (Oxford University Press, 1998), 101-9
**Forward, ''The Patient as Person, Second edition: Exploration in Medical Ethics'', 2nd edition (Yale University Press, 2002)
*As editor
**Margaret A. Farley and Serene Jones, eds., ''Liberating Eschatology; Essays in Honor of Letty M. Russell'' (1999)
**Charles E. Curran, Richard A. McCormick, and Margaret A. Farley, eds., ''Feminist Ethics and the Catholic Moral Tradition'' (Paulist Press, 1996)
References
External links
Margaret A. Farley
at Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, Primary Affiliated Faculty: Margaret Farley
at Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, Margaret
1935 births
Living people
20th-century American Roman Catholic nuns
Yale Divinity School faculty
University of Detroit Mercy alumni
Yale University alumni
Place of birth missing (living people)
20th-century American Roman Catholic theologians
Women Christian theologians
21st-century American Roman Catholic theologians
Christian ethicists
Sisters of Mercy
Dissident Roman Catholic theologians
Women's ordination activists
Ordination of women and the Catholic Church
Catholic feminists
Christian feminist theologians
Presidents of the Catholic Theological Society of America
American women academics
21st-century American Roman Catholic nuns