Episode 494: David Clough on Theology and Ethics

This week, Mariann talks to David Clough, a Professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chester, about why Christians have faith-based reasons for caring about animals, what the bible says about animal ethics, his unique take on the story of Jesus going into the wilderness, and what practical Christians can take around the issues of animals.



David Clough is Professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chester and has just finished a term as President of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics. He co-wrote Faith and Force: A Christian Debate about War (2007), debating just war and pacifism in a 21st century context, and has recently completed the landmark two-volume monograph On Animals (2012, 2018), on the place of animals in Christian theology and ethics. He is the founder of CreatureKind, a project aiming to engage Christians with farmed animal welfare; founder of DefaultVeg, a simple policy for institutions to adopt for events catering; and Principal Investigator for a three-year UK Research Council funded project on the Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare in partnership with major UK churches and Compassion in World Farming.

In the intro to this episode Mariann and Jasmin are fresh from the recording of Our Hen House’s 500th episode live at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, and they talk about the beauty and importance of sanctuaries for creating change. They also take a day trip to Troy, NY for shopping and lunch. After the interview, Mariann brings us some Rising Anxieties. More info in the show notes!

As always, the award-winning weekly Our Hen House podcast is hosted by Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer.



This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.

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The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren, who is also OHH’s Director of Communications! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast.