“I wish that I had more eloquent words. I don’t have them right now,” admitted Rev. Katey Zeh as she talked with Sojourners’ Mitchell Atencio about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
I suspect many of us know the feeling. Even though we knew the court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was likely to overturn the federal protections that allowed women and pregnant people to make their own reproductive health decisions for nearly 50 years, it’s still a shock.
In Sojourners’ coverage of abortion, we aim to get beyond the simple labels of “pro-life” and “pro-choice” and highlight voices that honor the fullness of life and human flourishing in all its messy complexity. One of the best ways we know how to do this is to listen closely to the stories and lived experiences of people who are directly affected by legal decisions, especially folks who are economically poor, politically marginalized, and socially vulnerable.
So if you find you don't have your own words right now, we’ve rounded up some of the coverage on faith, abortion, and social justice — both past and present, from Sojourners and from around the web — that we think are worth revisiting.
1. Roe Is Over: Faith Leaders On What That Means for Christians
“I fear many women, especially low-income and Black women, will suffer because of Roe being overturned,” said Alessandra Harris. By Mitchell Atencio via sojo.net.
2. Damned If You Don’t
Rebecca Shrader thought she knew what was right when it came to abortion. Then she got pregnant. By Emma Green via This American Life.
3. About That Bible Verse You See on Anti-Abortion Signs
For many Christians, Jeremiah 1:5 — “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” — is about when life begins. But the passage deserves more than a plain-text reading. By Katherine Pater via sojo.net.
4. How Clergy Set the Standard for Abortion Care
Fifty years ago, a network of religious leaders helped thousands of women find safe, comfortable ways of having the procedure. By Bridgette Dunlap via The Atlantic.
5. What It Took to Change My Mind on Abortion
For years I was able to avoid talking about abortion because the people I knew who had abortion stories were close, but not too close. By Bryan Parys via sojo.net.
6. Conservative Court-Packing Isn’t About Abortion — It’s About Culture
If the Right really cares about abortion, they should reduce poverty. By Lisa Sharon Harper via Sojourners.
7. As a Christian, I Want to Reduce Abortion, Not Overturn Roe
It shouldn’t be controversial to say “I don’t want to criminalize abortion” and “I want to ensure there are fewer unwanted pregnancies.” But it is. By Adam Russell Taylor via sojo.net.
8. We’re Not Going Back to the Time Before Roe. We’re Going Somewhere Worse.
We are entering an era not just of unsafe abortions but of the widespread criminalization of pregnancy. By Jia Tolentino via The New Yorker.
9. Rev. Katey Zeh Is Done With Circular Abortion Debates
She hopes her new book, A Complicated Choice, helps Christians care more fully for people who’ve had abortions. By Betsy Shirley via sojo.net.
10. 4 Ways the Church Can Get Ready for a Post-Roe World
While “surrounding mothers with love” is certainly essential to addressing crisis pregnancies, there are a number of national-level advocacy efforts the church can and must engage in that will impact the lives of women much more effectively. By M.T. Dávila via National Catholic Reporter.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!
