“Introduction to Christian Ethics” 

Instructor: Rev. Marvin Ellison Ph.D. (mellison122@gmail.com)

Bio: Marvin describes himself vocationally as a theological educator for justice. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he taught Christian Ethics at Bangor Theological Seminary for over three decades, including 20 years on the Portland campus.As a scholar-activist, he founded Maine's Religious Coalition Against Discrimination (RCAD) and the Maine Interfaith Council for Reproductive Choices (MICRC). In 2009 and again in 2012, he helped organize people of faith throughout Maine in support of marriage equality. Currently, he serves as a voluntary chaplain at Planned Parenthood and is also active with the Maine Death With Dignity campaign.

    A member of First Congregational Church, UCC, in South Portland, he's on that congregation's Justice Witness Committee, participates in its LGBTQ care group, and occasionally preaches, ushers, and leads adult education programs. Locally, he also serves on the board of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) and the Eleanor Humes Haney Fund, which awards grants to grassroots social change organizations in Maine. Nationally, he serves as the treasurer of the Religious Institute, a faith-based organization that educates and advocates for gender, sexual, and reproductive justice. He's author or editor of numerous publications, including Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality, THe Center Cannot Hold: Toward a Global Economy of Justice, Sexuality and the Sacred: Resources for Theological Reflection, 2nd edition, Same-Sex Marriage: A Christian Ethical Analysis, and Making Love Justice: Sexual Ethics for Perplexing Times.

   He lives in Portland with his life-partner Frank Brooks, professor of social work at the University of New England.