How Do We Talk About Abortion?

A Feminist Pastoral Theology

Emma Percy

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English

SCM Press
30 September 2025

Christianity; Christian theology; Christian aspects of sexuality, gender & relationships; Feminism & feminist theory; Ethical issues: abortion & birth control

In recent years, the repeal of Roe vs Wade in the United States and a number of high-profile cases in the UK have ignited intense public debates surrounding the sensitive issue of abortion. While the Pro-Life movement, often driven by religious convictions from Roman Catholic and conservative perspectives, has made its stance clear, other Christian arguments in favour of abortion have been notably less pronounced, frequently emphasizing exceptional circumstances.

Emma Percy steps into this important conversation, offering a thought-provoking pastoral theology that takes a deeply empathetic approach to pregnancy and motherhood. In How Do We Talk About Abortion? she delves into the complex motivations behind women's decisions to terminate pregnancies, treating this topic with the gravity it deserves. Percy considers abortion as a pastoral concern, recognizing how abortion decisions are shaped by circumstances and often not discussed, and how inherited Christian attitudes to women, sex and contraception can encourage silencing.

How Do We Talk About Abortion? situates abortion within the wider realities of infertility and reproductive loss, considers the question of prenatal testing in dialogue with disability theology, and explores God’s providence in the unfairness of human procreation. The final chapter turns to pastoral practice, the language of sin and the possibility of appropriate rituals.

Carefully navigating the intricate intersection of faith, ethics, and reproductive choice, this new volume invites readers to reconsider preconceived notions and engage in a compassionate dialogue surrounding abortion and pregnancy loss from a Christian perspective that will move the discussion forward.

By: Emma Percy
Imprint: SCM Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 135mm,
ISBN: 9780334065708
ISBN 10: 0334065704
Pages: 144
Publication Date: 30 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , General/trade , Further / Higher Education , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Emma Percy was one of the first women ordained priest in the Church of England in 1994. She has worked for many years in Parish Ministry and University Chaplaincy and completed a PhD through Nottingham University in 2013. She has been a campaigner for the full inclusion of women in the church and served two terms as Chair of WATCH. She was appointed Senior Lecturer in Feminist Theology and Ministry Studies at the University of Aberdeen in 2023. She is now a licensed priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church and a member of the SEC Doctrine Committee.

Reviews for How Do We Talk About Abortion?: A Feminist Pastoral Theology

Emma Percy provides a comprehensive and eminently readable pastoral overview of the challenges and stigmas regarding decision-making about reproductive issues. The book’s compassionate, practical, and even-handed tone makes it a perfect choice for people of faith who want to learn how better to talk about abortion. -- Margaret Kamitsuka