Christian ethicists must interpret and apply the Bible to complex moral issues, including abortion. But such a task is far from straightforward. This essay develops an argument for how to engage Scripture adequately by drawing from the Second Vatican Council’s Dei verbum (1965). I then critique the Declaration on Abortion (1974) and Evangelium vitae (1995) for failing to employ a critical, faithful, coherent, and pastorally sensitive approach to the Bible. Finally, I draw upon the work of Jesuit ethicist Lúcás Chan, SJ, and Womanist theologian Mitzi J. Smith to show how moral agents can be formed in Christian virtues by wrestling with the complexity of Scripture.
Emily Reimer-Barry (Wed,) studied this question.