Kathy Rudy

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

Biography

Rudy earned a Master of Divinity from the Duke Divinity School and later a doctorate in ethics from Duke as well. 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 and is a radical social constructionist. She is an advocate of animal welfare and locavorism.

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". 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.

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.

Selected publications

Beyond Pro-life and Pro-choice: Moral Diversity in the Abortion Debate (1996). Beacon Press. Sex and the Church: Gender, Homosexuality and the Transformation of Christian Ethics (1997). Beacon Press. Loving Animals: Toward a New Animal Advocacy (2011). University of Minnesota Press.