Jean Porter

Jean Porter is the John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, affiliated with the College of Arts and Letters. She specializes in the history of Christian moral theology, particularly the thought of Thomas Aquinas and medieval scholasticism. Her research focuses on natural law theory, justice, and the intersection of theology with ethics, law, and politics.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Religious Studies (Ethics), Yale University (1984)
• M.Div., Weston School of Theology (1980)
• B.A. in Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin (1976)

Research Interests: Porter explores theological and secular theories of justice, medieval and contemporary political thought, and the application of natural law to modern issues such as human rights and legal authority. She emphasizes the relevance of Aquinas’s virtue ethics for contemporary moral debates.

Awards & Grants:

• Catholic Press Association Book Award (2011)
• Henry Luce III Fellowship in Theology (1997–1998)
• Alan Richardson Fellow, University of Durham (2008)
• Senior Fellow, Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion (2005–2010)

Professional Activities: Porter has held leadership roles in the Society of Christian Ethics and serves on editorial boards for journals like The Journal of Religious Ethics and Theology Today. Her work bridges historical theology with modern ethical challenges, advocating for a revival of scholastic traditions in moral inquiry.

Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary projects at Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and collaborates with scholars in law, philosophy, and bioethics.