Researcher Details |

Ethna Regan

I teach theology and ethics here in DCU. I was previously Head of the School of Theology in Mater Dei Institute of Education. Before that I was a lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad, where I lived for over a decade. My teaching and research has been shaped by the experience of working in the Caribbean, particularly my involvement with Credo Foundation for Justice, a non-governmental social justice and human rights organization. I also worked for five years in Samoa in the Pacific Islands. My doctoral research at the University of Cambridge was on human rights and theology. I am happy to work with postgraduate students in this area and in the areas of theological anthropology, Catholic social thought, liberation and political theologies, the work of Karl Rahner, post-Holocaust theology and theories of Justice.

Edited Book

	Year	Publication
	2024	Ethna Regan & Alan J. Kearns (Ed.). (2024) Critical Questions in Contemporary Theology: Essays in Honour of Dermot A. Lane. Oxford & New York: Peter Lang, Studies in Theology, Society and Culture, Vol. 18, [Link] https://doi.org/10.3726/b20609

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2023	Ethna Regan (2023) 'The Global and the Local in Catholic Social Teaching'. The Furrow, . https://thefurrow.ie/the-global-and-the-local-in-catholic-social-teaching/
	2023	Ethna Regan (2023) 'Women, Theology and the Church'. Doctrine and Life, 73 (10).
	2021	Ethna Regan (2021) 'The Criteria of “Authentically” Catholic Theology: Reading 'Theology Today' a Decade Later'. Religions, 12 (12). [Link] https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12121071
	2019	Ethna Regan (2019) 'Catholic Social Teaching and Homelessness: The world tribe of the dispossessed'. Journal of Vincentian Social Action, 4 (1). [Link]
	2019	Regan, E. (2019) 'The bergoglian principles: Pope francis’ dialectical approach to political theology'. Religions, 10 . [Link] [DOI]
	2016	Ethna Regan (2016) 'Doing Christian Social Ethics in Ireland: From Hiberno-Christendom to Fragile Pluralism'. Jahrbuch für Christliche Sozialwissenschaften, 57/2016 . [Link]
	2014	Regan, Ethna (2014) 'BARELY VISIBLE: THE CHILD IN CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING'. Heythrop Journal, 55 (6). https://doi.org/10.1111/heyj.12207
	2013	Ethna Regan (2013) 'Church, Culture and Credibility: A Perspective from Ireland'. NEW BLACKFRIARS, 94 :160-176. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1111/nbfr.12012
	2011	Ethna Regan (2011) 'Theology and the Future of Irish Society'. The Furrow, 62 . [Link]
	2011	Ethna Regan (2011) 'Women, Theology and Church. Whose Expertise?'. DOCTRINE & LIFE, 61 .
	2009	Ethna Regan (2009) ''But now You Speak at last': The Rights of the Child after the Shadows of Hiberno-Christendom'. DOCTRINE & LIFE, 59 .
	2008	McGrady, Andrew G.; Regan, Ethna (2008) 'Ethics in a global world: the Earth Charter and religious education'. British Journal of Religious Education, 30 (2). [DOI]

Book Chapter

	Year	Publication
	2024	Ethna Regan (2024) 'The Problem of Theology in the University? Irish Compromises and Solutions' In: Theology and the University. London : Routledge.
	2024	Rebecca Chopp, Ethna Regan, and David Tombs (2024) 'Latin American Liberation Theology' In: The Modern Theologians: An Introduction to Christian Theology since 1918, 4th Edition. Oxford : Wiley Blackwell.
	2023	Ethna Regan (2023) 'Towards Ecclesial Ethics: A Reforming God, a Just Church, and Reformed Subjectivity' In: Reforming the Church: Global Perspectives. Collegeville, MN : Liturgical Press.
	2022	Ethna Regan (2022) 'Human Rights' In: The Oxford Handbook of Political Theology. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
	2019	Ethna Regan (2019) 'Human Rights, Human Flourishing, and the Right to Housing' In: Street Homeless and Catholic Theological Ethics. Maryknoll, New York : Orbis Books.
	2017	Ethna Regan (2017) 'Imagining Just Cities: The Dialogue between Theology and Human Rights' In: Renewing the Self: Contemporary Religious Perspectives. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK : Cambridge Scholars Publishing. [Link]
	2016	Ethna Regan (2016) 'The Church and Human Rights: Complex, Ecumenical, and Practical' In: Wrongs to Rights: How Churches can engage the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canada : INTOTEMAK (Mennonite Church) in response to Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission. [Link]
	2015	Regan E. (2015) 'Vatican II and human rights: From religious freedom to frontline advocacy' In: Vatican II in Ireland, Fifty Years On: Essays in Honour of Pádraic Conway. Pieterlen, Switzerland : Peter Lang. [DOI]
	2012	Ethna Regan (2012) 'Natural Law as Conjunctive and Disjunctive' In: Church and People: Disjunctions in a Secular Age. Washington, D.C : Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.
	2012	Ethna Regan (2012) 'John Steiner: Margaret Aylward's 'Venerable worker for the cause of poor children'' In: Treasures of Irish Christianity: People, Texts and Events. Dublin : Veritas.
	2010	Ethna Regan (2010) 'Not merely the cognitive subject: Rahner's Theological Anthropology' In: Karl Rahner: Theologian for the Twenty-first Century. Oxford : Peter Lang. [DOI]
	2009	Ethna Regan (2009) 'Strangers to Justice? Deus Caritas Est and Catholic ‘Charitable Organizations’' In: Who is My Neighbour? Deus Caritas Est. Dublin : Veritas.
	2008	Ethna Regan (2008) 'Human Rights: An ethical position of protective marginality' In: Community, Constitution and Ethos: Democratic Values and Citizenship in the Face of Globalization. Dublin : Otior Press.
	2007	Ethna Regan (2007) 'Catholic Anthropology' In: Exploring Theology: Making Sense of the Catholic Tradition. Dublin : Veritas.
	2005	Ethna Regan and Rebecca Chopp (2005) 'Latin American Liberation Theology' In: The Modern Theologians: An Introduction to Christian Theology Since 1918, 3rd Edition. Oxford : Blackwell.
	2002	Ethna Regan and Don Chambers (2002) 'Gender Issues in the Caribbean: A Theological Response' In: Proceedings of the Caribbean Theology Conference. Port of Spain : Caribbean Theology Conference.
	1999	Ethna Regan (1999) 'Five Caribbean Lenten Reflections on Luke's Gospel' In: Jesus, Friend of the Poor and Despised: Caribbean Lenten Meditations, 1999. San Fernando, Trinidad : St. Andrew's Theological College.
	1997	Ethna Regan (1997) 'Elijah and the Widow: Women, Poverty and Structural Adjustment' In: Biblical Reflections on Economics and Faith. Port of Spain : Caribbean Council of Churches Publication.

Book

	Year	Publication
	2010	Ethna Regan (2010) Theology and the Boundary Discourse of Human Rights. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2023	Ethna Regan (2023) Law and the Christian Life Pope Francis and the Discourse of Human Rights: a response to Samuel Moyn University of St. Andrews, 28/08/2023-30/08/2023.
	2017	Ethna Regan (2017) Symposium on Street Homelessness and Catholic Social Teaching 'Catholic Social Teaching and Homelessness: The world tribe of the dispossessed outside the halls of plenty looking in' Rome, Italy, 29/11/2017-02/12/2017.
	2017	Ethna Regan (2017) University of Durham, Ushaw Lecture Series: Bishop Dunn Memorial Lecture Bearing Scars and Forging Hope: The Church’s Flawed Expertise in Humanity Ushaw College, University of Durham, 22/06/2017-22/06/2017.
	2015	Ethna Regan (2015) The Tablet 175th Anniversary Conference, The Spirit of Catholic Renewal: Signs, Sources, and Calling Putting Our Own House in Order’ Durham University, 02/11/2015-04/11/2015.
	2015	Ethna Regan (2015) Self & the City: Political Theology and Urban Identities Imagining Just Cities: the dialogue between theology and human rights The University of Manchester, 24/04/2015-25/04/2015.
	2014	Ethna Regan (2014) McCauley Conference Series The Priority of Mercy and the Necessity of Justice: Ethics and Pope Francis Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, 23/05/2014-24/05/2014.
	2014	Ethna Regan (2014) Cairo + 20: Catholic Discourses on Population and Development Discourses of Family and Gender Campion Hall, Oxford, 09/04/2014-11/04/2014.
	2012	Ethna Regan (2012) ’Church Culture & Credibility’, Catholic Theological Association of Great Britain Church Culture and Credibility: Perspective from Ireland Durham University, 10/09/2012-13/09/2012.
	2012	Ethna Regan (2012) VATICAN II 50 Years On: A Critical Examination of the Enduring Significance of the Second Vatican Council Vatican II: Embracing Human Rights and Expanding Humanism UCD International Centre for Newman Studies, 11/10/2012-11/10/2012.
	2011	Ethna Regan (2011) Childhood in Irish Society: An Interdisciplinary Conference Barely Visible: The Child in Catholic Social Teaching Mater Dei Institute, Dublin, 18/04/2011-19/04/2011.
	2011	Ethna Regan (2011) The Church and the World The Project of ‘Hiberno-Christendom’: A case study of Charles Taylor’s disjunctions between the Church and the World? Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen, Vienna, 12/06/2011-13/06/2011.
	2011	Ethna Regan (2011) Church: A Culture of Abusive Relationships?Conference of the Irish Theological Association Mulieris Dignitatem? Women, Theology and the Church Dublin, 19/03/2011-20/03/2011.
	2010	Ethna Regan (2010) Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) / Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Religion and Society Programme, Child Abuse in the Catholic Church - what can be learned? closed conference Theological reflections on the impact of the Ryan and Murphy Reports Heythrop College, University of London, 04/11/2010-.
	2010	Ethna Regan (2010) Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church Guilt, Complicity, Responsibility and Shame: Theological Reflections on Responses to the Ryan Report Trento, Italy, 24/07/2010-27/07/2010.
	2007	Ethna Regan (2007) Conference of Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité (CIDSE): ‘Working Together for Social Justice – Celebrating 40 years of Populorum Progressio Stories of Change:Celebrating and Lamenting Populorum Progressio Soesterberg, The Netherlands, 24/10/2007-26/10/2007.
	2007	Ethna Regan (2007) Women Doing Theology Rights-Holders not Beggars: Responding to the Post-Liberal Critique of Human Rights Trinity Theological Centre for Asia, Singapore, 19/06/2007-.
	2003	Ethna Regan (2003) Von Hügel Interdisciplinary Justice Discussion Group Human Rights: Some philosophical and theological perspectives on the dominant moral discourse of our time” The Von Hügel Institute, St. Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge, 10/11/2003-.
	2002	Ethna Regan and Ian Linden (2002) The Interdisciplinary Series of the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences,and Humanities (CRASSH) Religion and Politics in a time of the ‘American Empire’ University of Cambridge, 10/03/2002-.

Book Review

	Year	Publication
	2023	Ethna Regan (2023) Human Development and the Catholic Social Tradition: Towards an Integral Ecology, by Séverine Deneulin, Routledge, 2021. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/1474225X.2023.2182474

Book Review

	Year	Publication
	2022	Ethna Regan (2022) Nigel Biggar, What’s Wrong with Rights? (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020). BREV [Link] https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12121071
	2020	Ethna Regan (2020) Public Theology and the Global Common Good: The Contribution of David Hollenbach, SJ (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2016). Liverpool University Press: BREV
	2016	Ethna Regan (2016) 'Translating Religion', The Annual Publication of the College Theology Society 2012 (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2013). BREV
	2013	Ethna Regan (2013) Option for the Poor and for the Earth: Catholic Social Teaching by Donal Dorr (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Press, 2012). BREV [Link]
	2011	Ethna Regan (2011) 'Where is God?' Review Essay on 'From Misery to Hope: Encountering God in the Abyss of Suffering' by Joe Egan (Peter Lang, 2010). Dublin: BREV
	2011	Ethna Regan (2011) Building Cultures of Trust, by Martin E. Marty, (Grand Rapids, MI, and Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans, 2010.). BREV
	2008	Ethna Regan (2008) Climate Change: The challenge to all of us, by Sean McDonagh (Dublin: The Columba Press, 2007). BREV

Published Report

	Year	Publication
	2009	Ethna Regan (on behalf of the Irish Commission for Justice and Social Affairs) (2009) In the Wake of the Celtic Tiger: Poverty in Contemporary Ireland. Veritas, . [Link]

Research Interests

Human Rights
Theological Anthropology
Catholic Social Thought
Liberation Theology
The theology of Karl Rahner
Feminist Theology
Johann Baptist Metz and Political Theology
Jewish and Christian theology after the Holocaust
Theories of Justice

Research Projects

Title	Role	Start date	End date
Theological Ethics and Women's Embodiment: Implications for the Eating Disordered Body [Alyson Staunton]	DCU PI	01/09/2017	31/08/2018
"Gendering and Queering Theological Anthropology: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges" [David Dunning]	DCU PI	01/10/2018	30/09/2021
Theological Dissent in the Catholic Church after Vatican II : Expressions, Suppressions, and Possibilities (Anthony Devlin)	DCU PI	01/09/2021	31/08/2024

Modules Coordinated

Term	Title	Subject
2022	The Holocaust & Modern Culture	TP508
2022	Liberation Theologies	TP214
2021	Human Rights and Social Justice	TP512
2022	Social Ethics & Service-Learning Placement	TP301
2023		TP512A
2022	Social Ethics: Theological Perspectives	TP114
2022	Karl Rahner and 20th Century Theology	TP525
2023	The Holocaust and Modern Culture	TP508
2023	Environmental Theology and Ecological Responsibility	TP152
2023	Social Ethics: Theory and Service-Learning Placement	TP301
2023	Liberation Theologies	TP214