Scott Kline

Associate Professor
Scott Kline portrait, smiling in the Fireplace Lounge at St. Jerome's University

Department of Religious Studies

Acting Director, Master of Catholic Thought

PhD, McGill University

MA, University of Kansas

BA, Southeastern College

P: 519-884-8111 x 28289

E: scott.kline@uwaterloo.ca

Office: SH 2024

Biography

My research generally focuses on the relationship between religious ethics and public policy, particularly in Canada and the United States. I am the author of the book聽The Ethical Being: A Catholic Guide to Contemporary Issues (Novalis, 2013). I have published on topics related to the culture wars in the United States, religion and US foreign policy, the ethics of peacemaking, and systems level approaches to homelessness. My current research focuses on two areas: the role of faith-based organizations in approaches to homelessness and community responses to sudden cardiac arrest. I teach undergraduate courses in Christian ethics, sexual ethics, and contemporary ethical issues. My doctoral students have worked on topics related to evangelical political activism in Canada, Canadian secularism and Indigenous land claims, as well as religion and US politics. In my free time, I enjoy road cycling, running, and travelling.

Research interests: Christian ethics, religion and politics, religion and armed conflict, Catholic social teaching, ethics and health care, and approaches to homelessness.

Publications

The content that follows may only represent a portion of the Faculty member鈥檚 work.

Books

The Ethical Being: A Catholic Guide to Contemporary Issues聽(Ottawa: Novalis, 2013)

Chapters

鈥淩eligion and Peacebuilding in the European Union,鈥 with Megan Shore, Religion and the European Society: A Primer, ed. Ben Schewel and Erin K. Wilson (Chichester, UK: Wiley and Sons, 2020), 145鈥57.

鈥淎 Response to Homelessness in Pinellas County, Florida: An Examination of Pinellas Safe Harbor and the Challenges of Faith-Based Service Providers in a Systems Approach,鈥 with Megan Shore, Systems Level Approaches to Homelessness, ed. Naomi Nichols and Carey Doberstein (Toronto: The Canadian Homelessness Research Network, 2016), 74鈥88.

鈥淭elling Religion to Shut Up,鈥 in Faith and Political Matters, ed. John Milloy (Ottawa: Novalis, 2015), 89鈥103.

鈥淭he Study of Religion,鈥 in聽World Religions: Canadian PerspectivesEastern Perspectives聽(vol. 1) and聽Western Perspectives聽(vol. 2), ed. Dorish Jakobsh (Toronto: Nelson, 2013).

鈥淐atholic Peacemaking and Pax Christi鈥 with Megan Shore, in Religion and Conflict Resolution, ed. Lee Marsden (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2012), 353-68.

Articles

Kline, Scott, and David Seljak. "." The Catholic Register, 2022. 听丑迟迟辫蝉://飞飞飞.肠补迟丑辞濒颈肠谤别驳颈蝉迟别谤.辞谤驳/辞辫颈苍颈辞苍/驳耻别蝉迟-肠辞濒耻尘苍颈蝉迟蝉/颈迟别尘/34096-迟丑别-肠丑耻谤肠丑-肠辞苍诲别尘苍蝉-蝉测蝉迟别尘颈肠-谤补肠颈蝉尘-补蝉-蝉颈苍蹿耻濒

鈥淭he Morality and Politics of Consumer Religion: How Consumer Religion Fuels the Culture Wars in the United States,鈥澛The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture聽17 (Fall 2007).

鈥淭he Ambivalent Role of Religion in the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission,鈥 with Megan Shore,聽Peace and Change: A Journal of Peace Research, 31 (2006): 309鈥332.

鈥溾楾he Responsibility to Protect鈥 as a New Doctrine of Intervention for the Ecumenical Movement?鈥澛Jahresbericht Societas Ethica聽(Erlangen: Universit盲t Erlangen-N眉rnberg, 2006), 469鈥75. (refereed Societas Ethica paper)

鈥淭he Culture War Gone Global: 鈥楩amily Values鈥 and the Shape of US Foreign Policy,鈥澛International Relations聽18 (2004): 453鈥66.

鈥淧aul Tillich鈥檚 Encounter with the World Religions and the Emergence of a Cross-Cultural Communicative Ethic (1954鈥1965),鈥澛Toronto Journal of Theology聽20 (2004): 191鈥204.

Other

Reviews

Review of聽After Modernity: Secularity, Globalization, and the Re-enchantment of the World聽(Waco: Baylor University Press, 2008), ed. James K.A. Smith. In聽International Journal of Public Theology聽5 (2011): 235-37.

Review of聽Habermas and Theology聽(Cambridge UP, 2006), by Nicholas Adams. In聽International Journal of Public Theology聽2 (2008): 243鈥44.

Review of聽The Ethics of War: Shared Problems in Different Traditions聽(Ashgate, 2007), Richard Sorabji and David Rodin, eds. In聽International Journal of Public Theology聽2 (2008): 243鈥44.

Review of聽Difficult Justice: Commentaries on Levinas and Politics聽(UofT Press, 2006), Asher Horowitz and Gad Horowitz, eds. In聽University of Toronto Quarterly聽(December, 2007).

Review of聽Religion and the Death Penalty: A Call for Reckoning聽(Eerdmans, 2004), Erik C. Owens, John D. Carlson, and Eric P. Elshtain, eds; and聽Murdering Myths: The Story behind the Death Penalty聽(Rowmam & Littlefield, 2006), by Judith W. Kay. In聽The Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics聽26/2 (Winter 2007): 297鈥301.

Review of聽Paul Tillich: Theologian of Nature, Culture, and Politics聽(2003), by A. James Reimer. In聽Dialog: A Journal of Lutheran Theology, 42 (2004): 358鈥60.

Translations

Translated J眉rgen Moltmann, 鈥淛esus between Jews and Christians.鈥 In聽ARC: The Journal of the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University聽24 (1996): 61鈥76.

Non-refereed Publications: Articles, Reviews, and Op-eds

With Megan Shore, 鈥淭he Gospel Imperative to House the Homeless and the Challenges of Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in Systems Approaches,鈥 The Ecumenist: A Journal of Theology, Culture, and Society 53/4 (2016): 15鈥19.

鈥溾業鈥檓 a Catholic, Not a Communist,鈥欌 The Ecumenist: A Journal of Theology, Culture, and Society 52/4 (2015): 22.

With Megan Shore, 鈥,鈥 Herald Tribune 聽(Aug. 3, 2015): online https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2015/08/03/scott-kline-and-megan-shore-use-both-homeless-shelter-and-housing-first/29322699007/

Review of Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande, The Catholic Register, April 11, 2015). Reprinted in The Ecumenist: A Journal of Theology, Culture, and Society 52/4 (2015): 18.

Review of For the Love of Animals: Christian Ethics, Consistent Action by Charles Camosy, The Catholic Register, August 31, 2013.

鈥淗ope in Dark Times: The聽Ecumenist听1991鈥2010,鈥澛The Ecumenist: A Journal of Theology, Culture and Society聽47/4 (2010): 19鈥23.

鈥淭he Ambivalent Legacy of 1989,鈥澛The Ecumenist: A Journal of Theology, Culture and Society聽46/3 (2009): 1鈥3.

鈥淪ober Reflections on a Night of Change,鈥 Op-ed.聽Catholic Register聽(26 November 2008). (1,000 words).

鈥淩ace, Faith and Ambition: Barack Obama lives with the tensions between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.鈥 Op-ed.聽The Record, March 24, 2008: A7.

Foreword to Gregory Baum鈥檚聽Religion and Alienation, 2nd聽ed. (Ottawa: Novalis; Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2006), 7鈥14. With David Seljak.

Invited Public Lectures

鈥淩eligion and the 2016 US Presidential Election,鈥 Kitchener-Conestoga Rotary Club, Kitchener, Ontario (August 2016)

鈥淪ystems Level Responses to Homelessness and the Role of Faith-Based Service Providers,鈥 Fresno Homeless Summit, Fresno, California (April 2016)

鈥淭he Integration of the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching,鈥 Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, Brantford, Ontario (March 2016)

鈥淩eligion and the 2012 US Presidential Election,鈥 Erin, Ontario. Extended Learning Opportunities of Erin. (October 2012).

Courses taught

RS 121: Evil

RS 150: Christian Ethics

RS 220/PSCI 253: Religion and Politics

RS 241: Sex, Politics, and Religion in the U.S. and Canada

RS 288/HHUM 288: Health, Medicine, and Spirituality

ARTS 390: Third-Year Topics in Arts Disciplines [Topic: Crime & Justice]

SMF 494/GSJ 473: Seminar in Sexuality [Topic: Outrage & Activism]

Grants, fellowships and awards

鈥淩ethinking Intervention and the Role of Christian Aid Organizations,鈥 with A. James Reimer (co-PI), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) (2006-2010)

Visiting Scholar in Ethics, St. Mark鈥檚 College at the University of British Columbia and Providence Healthcare, Vancouver, British Columbia, January-December, 2021

Professional, administrative and community service

The content that follows may only represent a portion of the Faculty member鈥檚 work.

Professional

American Academy of Religion, Regionally Elected Director of Eastern-International Region and National Board Member (2007-2012)

American Academy of Religion, Nominations Committee, Chair (2013-2014)

Contributing Editor, Critical Theology (Novalis, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) (2004-present)

Administrative

Chair of Religious Studies, University of 蓝莓视频 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2026)

Chair of Religious Studies, St. Jerome's University (July 1-December 31, 2021)

Interim President and Vice Chancellor, St. Jerome's University (2019-2020)

Vice President Academic and Dean, St. Jerome's University (2013-2019)

Associate Dean, St. Jerome's University (2013)

Chair (or Acting Chair) of Religious Studies, St. Jerome鈥檚 University (2011-2013)

Acting Director of the St. Jerome鈥檚 Centre for Responsible Citizenship (2008-2013)

Coordinator of the Beyond Borders Program at St. Jerome鈥檚 University (2005-2013)

Coordinator of the St. Jerome鈥檚 Lectures in Catholic Experience (2007-2013)

Community

Heart and Stroke Canada, Member of the Resuscitation Advisory Committee (RAC) (2019-Present)

Hospice of 蓝莓视频 Region, Advisory Committee Member (2016-Present)

Project Ploughshares, Member of the Board and Chair (2009-2015, chair 2011-2014)

Stratford Rotary Hockey Board Member (2017-2020)