Masterclass Cafe: the theology and pastoral care of reproductive loss

Pregnancy loss is an incredibly common experience. Between 20% and 50% of all known pregnancies end in a loss such as a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy. In this session we will be exploring the theological questions that are commonly raised by this experience and the ways in which we might respond both pastorally and theologically to such questions. This session is suitable for anyone involved in pastoral ministry of any kind, or anyone who wants to learn how to break the silence that surrounds pregnancy loss and better support those who experience it.

Dr Karen O’Donnell is the Director of Studies at Westcott House, Cambridge and Lecturer in Worship and Community. Karen’s is a feminist theologian who is most interested in the places where bodies and theologies meet and interact with each other. Her most recent publication is The Dark Womb: Re-Conceiving Theology through Reproductive Loss with SCM Press, 2022.