Kathy Rudy

M. Kathy Rudy (born 1956) is an American women's studies scholar, and theologian.^[1]

M. Kathy Rudy
Born	1956 (1956)
Education	Duke University (MDiv, PhD)
Occupation(s)	Scholar, author, theologian
Known for	Social constructionism

Biography

Rudy earned a Master of Divinity from the Duke Divinity School and later a doctorate in ethics from Duke as well.^[2] She also taught as a professor at Duke. Her work is often interdisciplinary as she merges philosophy, theology, politics, feminism, and medical ethics. She is open about her homosexuality^[3] and is a radical social constructionist. She is an advocate of animal welfare and locavorism.^[4][5]

In Sex and the Church: Gender, Homosexuality and the Transformation of Christian Ethics, Rudy argues for equal treatment of all people based on the "gifts that each one brings", rather than making a societal judgement based on their "real or perceived gender".^[6] She further questions the relationship between the Christian community and a person's private life, pushing back on the idea that sexual practices would impact an individual's relationship with God.^[7]

Rudy is well known at Duke University, where she taught a variety of topics including: Feminist Ethics, Reproductive Ethics, Gender and Popular Culture, and Debates in Women's Studies. Through her progressive work, Kathy was awarded the David Paletz Course Enhancement Award in 2012.^[8]

Selected publications

• Beyond Pro-life and Pro-choice: Moral Diversity in the Abortion Debate (1996). Beacon Press. ISBN 0-8070-0427-8
• Sex and the Church: Gender, Homosexuality and the Transformation of Christian Ethics (1997). Beacon Press. ISBN 0-8070-1034-0
• Loving Animals: Toward a New Animal Advocacy (2011). University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-7468X^[4]