Pia Matthews is a senior lecturer at St Mary’s University, a faculty member of the Mater Ecclesiae College, and Director of Quality Assurance and Curriculum Development at Allen Hall Seminary Chelsea. She has a BA/MA in Law from Cambridge University, a BTh (Theology) from St John’s Seminary Wonersh (Surrey University), and an MA in Bioethics from St Mary’s. Her PhD doctorate explored the notion of the person in patristic theology and philosophy, applying insights from Trinitarian theology and Christology to contemporary issues concerning the person in bioethics.
Currently Pia teaches on the MA Bioethics and Medical Law program, the BA program and the Catholic Social Teaching program at St Mary’s. She also teaches courses on Bioethics and on Marriage and Family at Allen Hall Seminary. In 2015, Dr. Matthews was appointed an expert to the XIV Ordinary General Assembly Synod of Bishops by Pope Francis.
She has also spoken at events organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. She has represented the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales at conferences organized by the Dicastery for Laity and Family Life in Rome. Pia is a member of CBET and InSpiRe, and a governor of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre.
Dr. Matthews’ research interests include the vocation, contribution and spirituality of people with disabilities, particularly profound intellectual disability; vocation, spirituality and care for elderly people; spirituality and dementia; ethics in healthcare; care and spirituality for the dying and bereaved; theological and philosophical anthropology; Catholic Social Teaching; faith in the public square; marriage and family life.
