Department of Theology

Dr. Marcus Mescher

Associate Professor, Theology Department

Marcus Mescher is associate professor of Christian ethics. He holds a Ph.D. from Boston College and specializes in Catholic social teaching and moral formation. His research and writing concentrate in the following areas: human dignity and rights; social/environmental justice for the global common good; how moral agency is impacted by cultural context and digital technology; sexual justice and the ethics of marriage and family life; and how to heal social divisions and unjust inequalities in pursuit of inclusive solidarity. Dr. Mescher has contributed book chapters to several edited volumes and has published articles in the Journal of Moral Theology, the Journal of Catholic Social ThoughtJesuit Higher Education, and Praxis: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Faith and Justice. He is the author of The Ethics of Encounter: Christian Neighbor Love as a Practice of Solidarity (Orbis, 2020) and Fratelli Tutti Study Guide (Paulist, 2021). He is co-principal investigator for a research grant from Fordham University's Taking Responsibility initiative, aiming to measure moral injury caused by clergy sexual abuse and its cover-up.    

Signature Courses:

  • From Service to Solidarity (First Year Seminar) 
  • Marriage and Family
  • Spirituality and Solidarity
  • Ethics in a Time of Planetary Crisis (ISSJ)
  • Theo-ethics of Ministry (ISSJ)

Expertise

Christian Ethics

First Year at Xavier

2014