Department Chair
Michael P. Walsh Professor of Bioethics
Professor of Theological Ethics
Stokes Hall 329N
Telephone: 617-552-3572
Email: andrea.vicini@bc.edu
ORCID
Andrea Vicini, S.J., is an alumnus of Boston College (S.T.L. and Ph.D.) and holds an M.D.from the University of Bologna and an S.T.D. from the Pontifical Faculty of Theology ofSouthern Italy in Napoli. At Boston College, Andrea was Gasson Professor (2009-2010) and taught as theGloria L. and Charles I. Clough School of Theology and Ministry (2011-2019). He also taught in Italy, Albania,Mexico, Chad, and France. He is co-chair of the international network as well as lecturer and member of associations of moral theologians and bioethicists in Italy, Europe, and the U.S. His research interests and publications include theological bioethics, global public health, new biotechnologies, environmental issues, and fundamental theological ethics. During the academic year 2015-2016, he had a researchfellowship at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ, on the Societal Implications of Astrobiology. Since 2021 he is a Fellow of the .
Books
Genetica umana e bene comune (Human Genetics and the Common Good),(Cinisello Balsamo: San Paolo, 2008).
Translation:Genética humana e bem comum(São Paolo: Loyola, São Camilo, 2011).
Edited books
The Rising Global Cancer Pandemic: Health, Ethics, and Social Justice, A. Vicini, P. J.Landrigan, and K. Straif, eds., Global Theological Ethics 2, (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publicationsby Wipf & Stock, 2022).
Ethics Challenges in Global Public Health: Climate Change, Pollution, and the Health of thePoor, P. J. Landrigan and A. Vicini, eds., Global Theological Ethics 1, (Eugene, OR: PickwickPublications by Wipf & Stock, 2021).
Reimagining the Moral Life: On Lisa Sowle Cahill’s Contributions to Christian Ethics, K.J.Choi, S. Moses, and A. Vicini, eds., (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2020).
Building Bridges in Sarajevo: The Plenary Papers of Sarajevo 2018, J.F. Keenan, K. Heyer, andA. Vicini, eds., Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church Series, Vol. 7, (Maryknoll, NY:Orbis Books, 2019).
Just Sustainability: Technology, Ecology, and Resource Extraction, C.Z. Peppard and A. Vicini,eds., Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church Series, Vol. 3, (Maryknoll, NY: OrbisBooks, 2015).
The Legacy of Vatican II, M. Faggioli and A. Vicini, eds., (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2015).
Podcasts
"What if We Are not Alone in the Universe?,” Pulled Up Short: Season Two, Carolyn A. andPeter S. Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College (November 15,2021).
“Water: Public Health, Justice, and the Common Good,” , October 30, 2019,..
Journal articles
“Indicators of the Dimensions of Trust (and Mistrust) in Early Primary Care Practice: AQualitative Study” (et al.), BMC Primary Care 24 (2023) art. 150. DOI:
“‘Don’t Worry, You Can Trust Me’: Indicators of the Role of Trust in Residents’ ReflectiveWriting” (et al.), Patient Education and Counseling 109, Supplement (April 2023): art. 54. DOI:.
“The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health” (et al.), Annals of GlobalHealth 89, no. 1 (2023): art. 23, 1-215. DOI: .
“Theory Building as Integrated Reflection: Understanding Physician Reflection Through HumanCommunication Research, Medical Education, and Ethics” (et al.), Journal of Health Ethics 18,no. 2 (2022): .
“When Social Justice Meets CRISPR,” Sojourners 51, no. 11 (December 2022): 14-15. 2022Award of Excellence of The Associated Press Church Awards for: Science Writing for the Worldof Faith: Short Format.
“” (et al.), Journal ofHealth Ethics 18, no. 1 (2022).
“The Coronavirus Pandemic: Ethical Challenges in Global Public Health,” Journal of the Societyof Christian Ethics 42, no. 1 (Spring/Summer 2022).
“,” Journalof Moral Theology 11, no. 1 (2022): 41-69.
“” (et al.), Journal of MoralTheology 11, no. 1 (2022): 13-40.
“,” La Civiltà Cattolica English Edition 5, no. 12(December 2021), [translations in Italian and Spanish].
“(Noviembre 5, 2021).
“Healthcare Practice at the End of Life: Addressing Opposite Attitudes and Diverse Contexts,”Concilium: The End of Life: Making Sense of Our Finitude, M. Gruber, L. Hogan, and S.Knauss, eds., no. 5 (2021): 45-55 [translations in German, Italian, and Spanish].
“Correcting the Genome with CRISPR: Ethical Challenges,” La Civiltà Cattolica EnglishEdition (September 28, 2021) [translations in Italian and French].
“),” Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. 2 (2021):100-109.
“Posthumanism in Popular Culture: Ongoing Challenges,” Concilium: Posthumanism and theIncarnation in a Post/Human Age, S. Abraham, B. Caero Bustillos, and Po Ho Huang, eds., 57,no. 3 (2021): 54-63 [translations in German, French, and Italian].
“COVID-19: A Crisis and a Tragedy–What’s Next?,” Theological Studies 82, no. 1 (2021): 116-137.
“Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Bioethical Challenges and Approaches,” Asian Horizons:Dharmaram Journal of Theology 14, no. 3 (2020): 615-627.
“Preserving the Earth and Promoting Health: Challenges for the Common Good,” StudiaMoralia 58, no. 1 (2020): 97-122.
“Life in the Time of Coronavirus,” La Civiltà Cattolica English Edition 4, no. 4 (April 2020)[translations in Catalan, Italian, and Spanish).
“Reflecting on CRISPR Gene Editing,” Health Progress 101, no. 1 (January-February 2020): 5-9. 2021 Catholic Press Awards, for Best Writing–Analysis in the magazinedivision.
“,” (with B. O’Neill, S.J.), La Civiltà CattolicaEnglish Edition 4, no. 1 (2020): 40-52 [translations in Catalan, Italian, and Spanish].
“,” La Civiltà Cattolica English Edition 3, no. 9(2019): 92-104 [translations in French, Italian, and Spanish].
“Social Justice and the Promotion of the Common Good in Medical Missions to Low-ResourcedCountries,” Annals of Global Health 85, no. 1 (2019): 83-84.
“Astrobiology and Us: Social and Political Implications of a ‘New’ Science,” La CiviltàCattolica English Edition 1, no. 5 (2017): 29-41 [translations in Italian and Spanish].
“Cultivating the Inner Life of a Physician Through Written Reflection” (et al.), Annals of FamilyMedicine 15, no. 4 (2017): 379-381.
“On the Inner Life of Physicians: Analysis of Family Medicine Residents’ Written Reflections”(et al.), Journal of Religion and Health (2017):1-10.
“The Role of Emotions at the End of Human Life,” Studia Moralia 55, no. 1 (2017): 99-119.
“Learning to See Beneath the Surface: A Qualitative Analysis of Family Medicine Residents’Reflections About Communication” (et al.), Journal of Health Communication 20, no. 12 (2015):1441-1448.
“Longing for Transcendence: Cyborgs and Trans- and Posthumans” (with A. Brazal),Theological Studies 76, no. 1 (2015): 148-165.
“Le Neuroscienze e la Bioetica (Neurosciences and Bioethics),” La Civiltà Cattolica II, no. 3932(2014): 143-158.
“Mapeamento do Cérebro: Uma Questão Ética? (Mapping the Brain: An Ethical Issue?),”Bioethikos 7, no. 4 (2013): 426-430.
“Bioethics: Basic Questions and Extraordinary Developments,” Theological Studies 73, no. 1(2012): 169-187.
“Ethical Challenges of Human Genetics Today: From the Lab, through the Clinic, to the Pews,”Studia Moralia 50, no. 1 (2012): 145-174.
“Imaging in Severe Disorders of Consciousness: Rethinking Consciousness, Identity and Care ina Relational Key,” Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 32, no. 1 (2012): 169-191.
“La Loi Morale Naturelle: Perspectives Internationales pour la Réflexion BioéthiqueContemporaine (The Moral Natural Law: International Perspectives for Today’s BioethicalReflection),” Revue de l’Institut Catholique de Paris – Transversalités 122 (2012): 125-151.
“Le Cas de la Grippe Aviaire H5N1: La Recherche en Biologie entre Questions, Pauses etLimites (The Case of the H5N1 Avian Flu: The Research in Biology between Questions, Pauses,and Limits),” Éٳܻ 417, no. 4 (2012): 317-327.
“New Insights in Environmental and Sustainable Ethics,” Asian Horizons: Dharmaram Journalof Theology 6, no. 2 (2012): 309-328.
“Allocazione delle Risorse Sanitarie: Come Promuovere la Giustizia e il Bene Comune? (TheAllocation of Health Care Resources: How Can We Promote Justice and the Common Good?),”Rivista di Teologia Morale 43.169, no. 1 (2011): 69-78.
“Etica Teologica, Pratica Medica e Sanità: Per una Maggiore e Migliore Giustizia (TheologicalEthics, Medical Practice, and Healthcare: To Promote a Greater and Better Justice),” StudiaMoralia 49, no. 2 (2011): 439-463.
“O Futuro da Bioética (The Future of Bioethics)” (with J.F. Keenan), Bioethikos 5, no. 1 (2011):10-20.
“Oncofertility and the Boundaries of Moral Reflection” (with P. Lauritzen), Theological Studies72, no. 1 (2011): 116-130.
“La Riforma Sanitaria negli Stati Uniti (The Health Care Reform in the USA),” La CiviltàCattolica II, 3839 (2010): 466-478.
“The Search for a Universal Ethic: The International Theological Commission’s 2009 Documenton Natural Law,” Concilium: Human Nature and Natural Law, L. Sowle Cahill, H. Haker, and E.Messi Metogo, eds., 3 (2010): 111-117.
Book chapters
“The Legacy of Paul Farmer for Theological Ethics,” in A Prophet to the Peoples: PaulFarmer’s Witness and Theological Ethics, J. Weiss Block, M. T. Lysaught, and A. A. Martins,eds., Global Theological Ethics 3, (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications by Wipf & Stock, 2023),299-312.
“Neuroscience and Theological Bioethics: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue,” in Neurowissenschaften in der Diskussion – Anregungen zum Weiterdenken / The Moral Brain: – Stimuli for Further Reflection, S. Müller and P.J. Morciniec, N. Polgar, eds., Bioethik in derDiskussion / Bioethics in Discussion 4, (Wien: Facultas, 2022), 25-44.
“The Challenging Global Cancer Pandemic,” in The Rising Global Cancer Pandemic: Health,Ethics, and Social Justice, A. Vicini, P. J. Landrigan, and K. Straif, eds., Global TheologicalEthics 2, (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications by Wipf & Stock, 2022), iii-ix.
“Cancer in the Context of Global Inequities and Disparities in COVID Times: An EthicalReflection,” in The Rising Global Cancer Pandemic: Health, Ethics, and Social Justice, A.Vicini, P. J. Landrigan, and K. Straif, eds., Global Theological Ethics – Book Series, vol. 2,(Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications by Wipf & Stock, 2022), 143-151.
“Global Public Health and the Promotion of the Common Good,” in Ethics of Global PublicHealth: Climate Change, Pollution, and the Health of the Poor, P. J. Landrigan and A. Vicini,eds. (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications by Wipf & Stock, 2021), 1-12.
“An Ethical Agenda for Global Public Health” (with P. Farmer), in Ethics of Global PublicHealth: Climate Change, Pollution, and the Health of the Poor, P. J. Landrigan and A. Vicini,eds. (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications by Wipf & Stock, 2021), 193-198.
“Christian Ethics: Past, Present, and Future,” in T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Ethics, T.Winright, ed., (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2020), 483-485.
“Transformative Engagement in Dialogue,” in Reimagining the Moral Life: On Lisa SowleCahill’s Contributions to Christian Ethics, K.J. Choi, S. Moses, and A. Vicini, eds., (Maryknoll,NY: Orbis Books, 2020), xi-xxiii.
“Who Are We, Where Do We Come From, and How Did We Get to Sarajevo?,” in BuildingBridges in Sarajevo: The Plenary Papers of Sarajevo 2018, J.F. Keenan, K. Heyer, and A.Vicini, eds., Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church Series, Vol. 7, (Maryknoll, NY:Orbis Books, 2019), 12-14.
“Environmental Ethics as Bioethics” (with T. Winright), in Catholic Bioethics and SocialJustice: The Praxis of US Health Care in a Globalized World, M.T. Lysaught and M. McCarthy,eds. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2018) 377-388.
“Empowered by the Holy Spirit,” in The Holy Spirit: Setting the World on Fire, R. Lennan andN. Pineda-Madrid, eds., (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2017) 162-172.
“Anthropocentric, Theocentric, Biocentric, and Cosmocentric: Ecotheological Visions inTension,” in M. Patenge, R. Beck, and M. Luber, eds., Schöpfung bewahren: Theologie undKirche als Impulsgeber für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung (Preserving Creation: Theology andChurch as Stimuli for a Sustainable Development), Weltkirche und Mission 7, (Regensburg:Friedrich Pustet, 2016), 164-188.
“A Renewed Hope,” in The Legacy of Vatican II, M. Faggioli and A. Vicini, eds., (Mahwah, NJ:Paulist Press, 2015), 273-278.
“On Just Sustainability and Its Challenges,” (with C. Z. Peppard), in Just Sustainability:Technology, Ecology, and Resource Extraction, C.Z. Peppard and A. Vicini, eds., CatholicTheological Ethics in the World Church Series, Vol. 3, (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2015), 1-8.
“Hope Springs: Shaping the Moral Life,” in Hope: Promise, Possibility, and Fulfillment, R. Lennanand N. Pineda-Madrid, eds., (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2013), 168-181.
“Roman Catholic Commitment to Promoting Sustainability,” in Protecting Nature, SavingCreation: Ecological Conflicts, Religious Passions, and Political Quandaries, P. Gagliardi,A.M. Reijnen, P. Valentini, eds. (London: Palgrave Macmilllan, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, 2013),253-258.
“Roman Catholic Contributions to Address the Current Ecological Crisis,” in Protecting Nature,Saving Creation: Ecological Conflicts, Religious Passions, and Political Quandaries, P.Gagliardi, A.M. Reijnen, P. Valentini, eds. (London: Palgrave Macmilllan, Fondazione GiorgioCini, 2013), 113-138.
“Living with Indigenous Communities in Chiapas, Mexico: The Transformative Power ofPoverty and Suffering,” in Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics, C. Scharen and A.M.Vigen, eds., (London: Continuum, 2011), 161-183.