A Christian Response to the New Genetics: Religious, Ethical, and Social Issues - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0742514986 ISBN 13: 9780742514980

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2003

Synopsis

Life is a gift that includes powers to be used and celebrated, but that doesn't necessarily justify the use of every new power that comes along. A Christian Response to the New Genetics appeals to both secular and religious readers in the center of the great debate over our new genetic powers. These essays affirm many traditional Christian perspectives and virtues, while also introducing new insights. The authors explore a broad range of topics, including genetic testing, gene transfer, genetic manipulation, patenting, health insurance, and the moral status of embryos. They conclude it is naïve to either outright reject or wholeheartedly embrace the new genetic powers. In fact, sometimes the best we can expect is to learn how to cope with moral uncertainty. A Christian Response to the New Genetics originated with initiatives of the Episcopal Church, but the book is neither an official statement of Episcopal theological ethics nor a parochial lamentation.

About this title

About the Author:

David H. Smith is director of the Poynter Center at Indiana University and chair of the Episcopal Church's Task Force on Ethics and the New Genetics. Cynthia B. Cohen is senior researchfellow at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.

Review:

This book can be recommended for anyone wanting an up-to-date discussion of recent developments in human genetics and their implications for Christian believers. (Science and Christian Belief)

[An] exceedingly useful and timely collection of essays. . . . This book should be required reading for all Episcopal clergy, seminarians, and Clinical Pastoral Education students, and for laypersons involved in church policies and practices related to genetics and the pastoral care of individuals and families affected by genetic diseases. It would be a tremendous asset to bioethics curricula in Episcopal and nondenominational seminaries; it is not hard to imagine planning an entire course around the issues and themes presented in this book. It will also be useful in secular academic settings, as a resource for helping medical students and others in the sciences understand how scholars working within a religious tradition look at the science and ethics of genetic technologies. It would be unfortunate if the title were misunderstood. This volume is not simply of interest to Christians, but it is certainly a welcome antidote to the limitations of That Phrase. Well done. (Medical Humanities)

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0742514986
• ISBN 13: 9780742514980
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208
• Editor: Smith David A., Cohen Cynthia Price