Biography
Kyle McCaffery will graduate from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry with a Master of Theological Studies in May 2021. In addition to his studies, he serves as a senior editor for the Lumen et Vita graduate journal and conference. Before entering graduate studies, Kyle worked for three years as a paralegal at an immigration law firm in Memphis, TN.
Paper Abstract
Climate change, as a global storm of ecological, economic, and political disasters, overwhelms the contemporary moral notions and habits of humanity. Voices in Christian ethics are charting creative paths forward in response to the challenge of the climate crisis. Using the ecological writings of Pope Francis and the ethical work of Willis Jenkins, this paper will first outline a "disaster ethic" of practices that foster resilience in the face of global ecological crises and the lack of concerted international political action. Next, this ethic will be illustrated through memories of the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker community in South Bend, IN. Experiences of this community's ecology form community members to address interwoven injustices, but the memory of these experiences inspires hope and creativity even after community members leave this community. First-hand accounts and the example of community members demonstrate this formation, which aligns with observations made by Dorothy Day about the larger Catholic Worker movement. The capacity for communities to act as agents of participatory moral formation is evermore important to face the crisis of the 21st century. The memories and experiences of communities such as the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker movement give rise to the hope necessary to remain resilient in the face of great calamity. Such experiential formation creates a sustainable wellspring for future ethical analysis, discernment, and moral creativity.