Theology \ Faculty \

Charles C. Camosy

Assistant Professor
Duane Library 139
(718) 817-3207
camosy@fordham.edu

Research Interests:

I am interested in fostering intellectual solidarity and good-faith arguments between binary groups or across narratives which typically or sometimes find conversation difficult: Christian/non-Christian, theological/philosophical, theological/scientific, progressive/conservative, academic/non-academic.  The Roman Catholic moral traditions from which my work flows are a powerful wedge for breaking these often polarized impasses because, often with one foot planted firmly in either camp, they can light they way toward finding common ground useful for beginning fruitful interaction. 

In particular, I am interested in how a Roman Catholic moral anthropology balances the dignity of the human person in its individual and social aspects—and the implications this has for bridging gaps between ‘moral status conservatives’ and ‘social justice liberals.’ My early work has focused especially on medical and clinical ethics with regard to stem cell research and treatment of critically ill newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit.  More work is needed, especially in light of the healthcare crisis in the United States, on negotiating individual respect for the patient with just distribution of healthcare resources—and my future research will leverage the considerable resources of Catholic Social Teaching in dealing with this thorny and urgent problem.

My new book project for Cambridge University Press, ‘Peter Singer and Christian Ethics,’ takes my focus on intellectual solidarity in a new direction.  The ethic of Peter Singer and a Christian ethic are thought to be diametrically opposed, but the thesis of the book is that this polarized understanding is a mistake and that a close and charitable reading of the two traditions shows that (1) the disagreements between them are actually quite narrow, and (2) they are similar enough for both fruitful and mutually-critical correlation. 

Some recent publications:

‘No Need for Embryos?—How Recent Discoveries About Amniotic Fluid Have Dramatically Changed the Stem Cell Debate.’ Journal of the Catholic Health Association (March/April 2008) v89 n2.

‘The Subject of the Scourge: Rethinking Implications of Natural Embryo Loss.’ American Journal of Bioethics (July 2008) v8 n7.

'Common Ground on Surgical Abortion?—Engaging Peter Singer on the Moral Status of Potential Persons' The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. (January 2009) 33(6).

Current Projects:

Too Expensive to Treat?—Rethinking Neonatal Intensive Care in Light of Limited Heath Care Resources.  (Monograph forthcoming from Wm. B. Eerdmans Press)

Peter Singer and Christian Ethics (Monograph forthcoming from Cambridge University Press)

Selected Presentations:

Peter Singer’s Practical Ethics Course.  Lecture/Debate: ‘The Moral Status of the Human Fetus.’  (Princeton University, NJ: 10/09) Available: here.

Society for the Student of Christian Ethics: Annual Meeting.  ‘Peter Singer and Christian Ethics: Room for Conversation?’ (Cambridge, UK: 9/09)

Centre Européen d’Enseignement et de Recherche en Éthique.  ‘Logique économique et système medical.’ (Strassbourg, France: 3/09)

American Academy of Religion National Meeting, Featured Paper. ‘Are Some Children too Expensive to Treat? — A Critical Look at United States Neonatal Intensive Care through the Lens of Catholic Social Thought.’  Respondents: Rich Miller (Indiana) and Margaret Mohrmann (UVA) (Chicago, IL: 11/08)

University Medical Center, St. Radboud.  ‘Treatment of Disabled Newborns and the Social Quality of Life Model.’ (Nijmegen, the Netherlands: 6/07)

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Staff.  ‘Treatment of Disabled Newborns and the Social Quality of life Model’ (Milwaukee, WI: 5/07)

Inaugural Conference of Catholic Ethics in the World Church. ‘Altered Nuclear Transfer and the Moral Status of the Embryo’ (Padua, Italy: 7/06)