Writer Highlight: Catherine Tobey
Celebrating Women's History Month at the Barth Center
In celebration of Women’s History Month this March, the Center for Barth Studies is highlighting some of the incredible women who contribute to this online magazine. We hope you enjoy these posts and the chance to get to know a bit more about some of our writers.
— Kait Dugan
Today, we are featuring contributor Catherine Tobey, who is a Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a student at the University of Aberdeen.
Where do you currently study, and what is your main research focus?
I started a PhD in theological ethics at the University of Aberdeen last September and am exploring what it means for the Kingdom of God to belong to children.
What compelled you to write for the Barth Center's God Here and Now online magazine?
I like the idea of interacting with Barth in a slightly less formal context. While I loved exploring his work as an undergraduate and during seminary, I am enjoying the opportunity to treat him a bit more playfully and in close connection with what’s going on in the real world.
Why have you chosen to write on the topics you've engaged thus far? Why are they important to you?
Writing about things I care about is always a joy! That said, I do hope my work is engaging enough to challenge readers’ preconceptions, whether about the patterns within their local church community or the criminal justice system. Plus, some of my friends are involved in really impactful ministries (like Underground Ministries and the Israel/Palestine Mission Network), and it has also been lovely to highlight their work.
What book has made the most impression on you in the last year, theology or beyond?
Last semester, I took an awesome course with David Redmalm through Mälardalens University. Ecological theorist Yamini Narayanan gave a lecture on her recent publication Mother Cow, Mother India. Her research into the dairy industry in India was fascinating, especially as a site of intersection between religion, race, feminism, speciesism, capitalism, environmentalism, and more. I highly recommend it.
What is one thing you wish more theologians cared about today?
I think it’s really easy to get caught up in maintaining the status quo and I wish we were all more practiced at imagining and working towards a better future.
If you could have dinner with anyone in the world—either living or not—who would it be and why?
As a parent of two young children, I dream about a family meal where everyone is elated with the food they’ve been served, no one has to get up to grab something, and we all enjoy leisurely conversation. If you add a glass of wine and dishes that wash themselves, it sounds a lot like heaven. Either that, or dinner with Kesha.
You can read Catherine’s contributions to the blog here and here.
God Here and Now is an online magazine and newsletter from the Center for Barth Studies. If you would like to support our work, you can donate to the center here. All donations are tax-deductible. Questions? Ideas? Email us: barth.center@ptsem.edu