Academic History and Publications

Ruth E. Groenhout received her BA from Calvin College in 1985, with a double major in Philosophy and a Biology/Chemistry group major. She received her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in 1993, with a thesis titled “Theoretical Approaches in Medical Ethics: Virtue and Its Critics”. She taught for one year at Spaulding University in Louisville, KY, then two years at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO before joining the Philosophy Department at Calvin College where she has taught for 13 years. She has just finished a term as President of the Medical Ethics Research Network of Michigan, and serves on the Biomedical Ethics committee at Spectrum Health. She has lectured on issues in health care at a wide variety of venues in the US and internationally, including China, Australia, Croatia and Brazil.

Much of Prof. Groenhout’s research focuses on theoretical aspects of health care ethics. She has published journal articles, book chapters, and books on a variety of topics in health care ethics, including assisted reproduction technologies, public health research, theological considerations in nursing practice, sin and sickness in the Reformed tradition, insurance practices, and, most recently, a book published by Faith Alive titled Bioethics: A Reformed Look at Life and Death Choices. In addition to publications she has lectured on issues ranging from evidence-based medicine to new genetic technologies.

Dr. Groenhout's CV (.pdf)