Margaret Farley

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Margaret Farley

• Gilbert L. Stark Professor of Christian Ethics at
  Yale Divinity School

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Three Steps in Approaching Christianity

• Critique
• For example, critically examining patriarchal and
  anthropocentric elements in Christian tradition
• Retrieval
• For example, the affirmation in Genesis that
  creation is very good and Augustines
  appreciation of the beauty of the world, to which
  all beings make a contribution (whatever is, is
  good)
• Reconstruction
• What one retrieves from the past requires
  reconstruction because of our different situation
  and different understanding of the world

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A Way to Analyze Other Thinkers

• Charles McCoy
• Critique with significant retrieval (through
  central biblical idea of covenant), along with
  reconstruction (covenant concept revised in light
  of current thought and experience)
• Sallie McFague
• Critique and reconstruction predominate in light
  of feminist and environmental perspectives
  retrieval occurs within the boundaries of these
  concerns that act as criteria for assessing the
  tradition
• Kenneth Miller
• Dominant move is continuation/retrieval (largely
  seems to accept Catholic tradition) some
  critique and reconstruction (in light of science)

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• Chatsumarn Kabilsingh
• Continuation and retrieval dominate, mixed with
  some critique and reconstruction based on concern
  for the environment
• Holmes Rolston
• Retrieval seems predominant with critique and
  reconstruction in light of science and
  environmental concerns
• George W. Fisher
• Reconstruction and critique play a major role, in
  light of new experience and understanding, mixed
  with some retrieval