Constructing a Just City: A Feminist Theo-Ethical Contribution by Samantha Leigh Cavanagh A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Emmanuel College and the Graduate Centre for Theological Studies of the Toronto School of Theology. In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology awarded by the University of St. Michael’s College. © Copyright by Samantha Leigh Cavanagh 2018 ! Constructing a Just City: A Feminist Theo-Ethical Contribution Samantha Leigh Cavanagh Doctor of Philosophy in Theology University of St. Michael’s College 2018 Abstract As it has been materialized in urban environments, the ideology of neoliberalism has produced the conditions for increasing economic inequality in Toronto and in many other North American cities. Both poverty and extreme wealth are on the rise, and in Toronto, these disparities are spatialized, which is to say, they are mapped into and onto the urban landscape. Urbanized neoliberal political economic relations can be recognized by the prioritization for the concerns and interests of wealthy private property owners, businesses, multinational corporations and financial capital, through the commodification of human lives and particular ethno-cultural ‘others,’ and through the disregard for the needs of the most vulnerable city dwellers. Neoliberal urbanization, as a spatial strategy, has consequences on the sense of self of urban inhabitants. When cities are built and maintained with the priorities of wealthy urban inhabitants in mind and premised on a neglect for the needs of the most economically disenfranchised, all urban inhabitants are scripted to think of themselves as responsible for their own (economic) well-being, not for the (economic and social) well- being of others. ! ii! ! In this thesis, I address the moral problems of urban economic injustice and neoliberal subjectivity spawned by neoliberal urbanization. Using liberative, feminist and materialist methods, I propose a theo-ethical moral vision for middle-class urban Christian inhabitants to become moral agents who are able to resist with the hope to transform spatialized structural injustice, and the commodification of human life. To do so, I suggest the moral norms of responsible relationality, public neighbour love understood as stranger love, and justice-love. I develop the metaphor of God’s body as made up of connective tissues of love in order to understand what it is that love is and asks of disciples of Jesus in the context of urban neoliberalization. I examine the transformative city building practices of participatory planning and the right to the city movement as seeds of hope for the future. I argue for participatory art as a moral and spiritual resource for moral agents in the pursuit of economically just cities. ! iii! ! Acknowledgements I am profoundly grateful to my advisor, Dr. Marilyn Legge of Emmanuel College, for her support and encouragement with this project. This work is stronger and clearer because of her feedback. In the course of this research, writing and re-writing, Marilyn continued to hold me accountable to the notion that theo-ethical inquiry ought to participate in the work of liberation; I have been inspired by her strong and spirit-filled example in life, teaching and writing to abide by this praxis and belief. I am also deeply grateful to Michael Bourgeois, Pamela Couture, John Dadosky and Bill Kervin for their support in various, unique and important ways throughout the journey towards this end. I am appreciative of my examining committee—Marilyn, Michael, John, Elizabeth Bounds and Mary Jo Leddy—for their thoughtful and constructive engagement with my project. I could not have done this work without good friends and various communities of belonging. I am eternally appreciative for the companionship, guidance and encouragement of Natalie Wigg-Stevenson–a friend, supporter and teacher for life. I am grateful for colleagues Kim Penner and Ren Ito; it has made all the difference to have close connections with these passionate and thoughtful scholars throughout these long and rich years of study. The practical, joyous, creative and emotional support of my friends outside of academic life (Anna, Ness, Stef, Julia, Ding, Robin, Steven and more) have been a blessing to me. The Rectory Collective, St. George the Martyr, L’Arche and Epiphany St. Mark’s have each been places for practicing and being formed in the discipline of love which I reflect on in these pages. ! iv! ! I am grateful to my parents and sister-in-law, who helped me to carve out space to work on this project by offering their time, resources and care. I dedicate this work to Nathan and Millie. In your own ways, both of you have enabled this project to see the light of day by feeding me with love, encouragement, understanding, snacks, rocks and sticks. Thank you. ! v! ! Table of Contents Chapter(One:!Introduction(.....................................................................................................(1! Context:(The(City(of(Toronto(..........................................................................................................(4! Liberative(Theo8Ethics(....................................................................................................................(5! A!Liberative!Theo3Ethic!for!Middle3Class!Urban!Christians!.........................................................!7! Cultivating!Moral!Agency!and!Moral!Vision!......................................................................................!11! Thesis(Statement(............................................................................................................................(15! Materialist(Methods(......................................................................................................................(16! Sources!..............................................................................................................................................................!19! Norms!................................................................................................................................................................!20! Procedure(.........................................................................................................................................(23! Chapter(Two:!Urban!Neoliberalization!and!Neoliberal!Subjectivities(.......................(30! A(Partial(History(of(Neoliberalism(...........................................................................................(33! Neoliberal(Spatialities(..................................................................................................................(37! Neoliberalism!within!The!Three!Cities!of!Toronto!........................................................................!40! Neoliberal!Urbanization!in!Toronto!through!the!example!of!Gentrification!......................!48! Neoliberal(Subjectivity(.................................................................................................................(53! Neoliberal!Subjectivity!in!and!through!the!Neoliberal!City!.......................................................!60! Conclusion(........................................................................................................................................(68! Chapter(Three:!Responsible!Relationality(.......................................................................(71! From(Neoliberal(Subjects(to(Moral(Agents(Contesting(Neoliberalization(...................(73! Spatialized(Structural(Relationality(.........................................................................................(76! Interlocking!Structures!and!Produced!Identities!...........................................................................!79! Structural!Injustice!......................................................................................................................................!82! Spatialized(Structural(Injustice(.................................................................................................(84! Spatialized!Structural!Evil!........................................................................................................................!87! Responsible((spatialized8structural)(Relationality(............................................................(90! Responsibility!Ethics!...................................................................................................................................!91! The!Social!Connection!Model!of!Responsibility!..............................................................................!94! Neighbourhood!Responsibility!...............................................................................................................!97! Canada’s!Housing!System!(as!a!neoliberal!spatialized!structure)!.......................................................!99! Heterogeneous(Publics(for(Collective(Action(......................................................................(103! Participatory!Planning!............................................................................................................................!105! The!Right!to!the!City!.................................................................................................................................!108! Coalitions(of(Solidarity(...............................................................................................................(111! Conclusion(......................................................................................................................................(114!