Guiding Drew students through the complexities of Christian social ethics.
June 2021 – How are our relationships shaped by the digital culture? Dr. Kate Ott engages questions like this as she guides Drew students through the principles of Christian ethics at Drew Theological School.
Ott, who recently earned a promotion to full professor of Christian social ethics, is the University’s first Everyday Ethics professor. She considers it a privilege teaching to students spanning Drew’s three schools—the Theological School, the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies and the College of Liberal Arts.
Ott’s research is in the fields of Christian social ethics, digital humanities, and childhood/youth studies. She is particularly interested in issues of sexuality, race, and global consumerism as they shape the sense of moral agency and choice. Her recent academic and activist work place children and youth at the center of inquiry using a feminist and critical social ethics lens.
A feminist, Ott is also an author and blogger. Her newest book is Christian Ethics for a Digital Society. Her other books include: Sex + Faith: Talking with Your Child from Birth to Adolescence and two co-edited volumes in addition to multiple book chapters and articles.
Her forthcoming book, The Ethics of Digital Sexuality, wrestles with pressing questions about the advancement of digital technologies, their effects on sexuality and relationships, and how to promote a just and flourishing sexuality in a digital age.
Ott lectures and leads workshops across North America on technology and sexuality issues related to faith formation for teens, young adults, parents, and religious educators and professionals.
The professor, together with a team of justice-minded academics, recently launched breakdownwhiteness.org, a website designed as a resource for white audiences seeking to better understand structural racism in America.
Visit her website for more information on her research and teaching.
