Mariele Courtois

Dr. Mariele Courtois serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology at Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas, and directs the Center for Technology and Human Dignity. Appointed in 2022, she bridges theological scholarship with urgent ethical questions surrounding emerging technologies and biomedical practices.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. with distinction in Moral Theology & Ethics (Minor: Philosophy), The Catholic University of America (2022)
• M.Phil. in Theology & Religious Studies, The Catholic University of America (2021)
• M.T.S. in Moral Theology & Ethics, University of Notre Dame (2017)
• B.S. in Biology, Loyola Marymount University (2015)

Dr. Courtois' research synthesizes Catholic moral theology with contemporary ethical challenges, focusing on how technological systems impact human dignity. Her scholarship applies Edith Stein's philosophical anthropology to genetic engineering ethics, disability theology, and the 'sacramentality of the hospital' concept. She critically examines the technocratic paradigm's reduction of human identity while developing frameworks for technology that honor inherent relationality and vulnerability.

Her recent publication Encountering Artificial Intelligence: Ethical and Anthropological Investigations (2024) contributes to Vatican-led discourse on AI ethics. International presentations at venues including the Edith Stein Centre (England) and Catholic University of Avila (Spain) demonstrate her global scholarly engagement.

As Center Director, she cultivates interdisciplinary collaboration between theologians, scientists, and medical professionals. Her Benedictine spirituality perspective informs practical approaches to end-of-life care, perinatal hospice, and ethical technology development that prioritizes human flourishing over instrumental efficiency.