The new Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics appointed Hardin-Simmons University's Dr. Susan Pigott, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, as one of its 6 Founding Fellows. The Centre is the world’s first academy dedicated to the enhancement of the ethical status of animals through academic publication, teaching, and research. It will act as an independent think tank for the advancement of progressive thought about animals. One of the areas of research will be the relationship between animal abuse and violence to human beings.

Fellows are academics and researchers of all disciplines with a record of research and publication in the field, and who share the philosophy of the Centre. Fellows will collaborate in research projects, and contribute articles, comment pieces, and reviews for the Journal of Animal ethics, and participate in conferences arranged by the Centre.

Over 100 academics from 10 countries have agreed to become advisors to the Centre, which was launched online today. One of the world’s major writers, Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor J. M. Coetzee, honored the Centre by agreeing to become its first Honorary Fellow.

Professor Priscilla Cohn, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Penn State University, associate director of the Centre, said, “It seems to us that academics should take the lead in helping to foster a new kind of debate about animals; one that goes beyond slogans and stereotypes.”

Oxford theologian, the Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey is the new director for the Centre and the world’s premiere theologian dealing with animal theology and ethics. His book, Animal Theology proposes a theological basis for protecting and caring for animals.

Dr. Pigott explains, “His premise is that dominion (as given by God in Gen. 1:26) is not unlimited power over creation to do with it what we wish. Rather, as the Gospel teaches, those who would lead must serve; therefore, human dominion over creation is a call not to superiority but to service and care. We should treat creation with the same love and concern that God does. Because of the incredibly inhumane conditions in factory farms (and elsewhere), the Oxford Centre is dedicated to educating the public about the desperate need for animal ethics.”

Dr. Linzey, who holds the world’s first post in Ethics, Theology and Animal Welfare, the Bede Jarrett Senior Research fellowship at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, says, “There is a strong rational case for animals, which has been recognized over the centuries by academics and philosophers. What is needed is for this rational case to be much better known, and there are now signs that progressive thinking is becoming mainstream. Importantly, animals are now

recognized as sentient beings in European law. We must strive to ensure animal issues are highlighted and rationally discussed throughout society; we cannot change the world for animals without changing our ideas about them. The Centre will promote ethical attitudes and contribute to informed public debate. The support of such a large number of internationally recognized academics underlines just how important animals are as a moral issue.”

Dr. Pigott joins 2 theologians, two philosophers, and a scientist in her position with the Centre: Professor Paul Ara Barsam (theologian at the University of Yerevan, Armenia), Professor Mark Bernstein (philosopher at Purdue University), Dr. Scott Cowdell (theologian at Charles Sturt University and Rector, St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Canberra, Australian), Professor Mark Rowlands (philosopher at the University of Hertfordshire, UK), and Professor Martin Willison (biologist and environmentalist at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada).