Faith and Fertility : Attitudes Towards Reproductive Practices in Different Religions from Ancient to Modern Times

When an individual or couple is considering a difficult choice such as IVF treatment or third party assisted conception, the moral and ethical basis for their decisions may often be informed by their particular faith traditions.

Faith and Fertility is a comprehensive collection of essays by academics and faith leaders from around the world. The reader is introduced to the cultural and religious understanding of fertility as it is practised among diverse international faith traditions. Each chapter is written in an accessible and clear style, outlining each faith's history and its core beliefs and values, showing the influence these have on its moral and ethical perspective on the issues surrounding fertility.

This book will be a welcome resource for anyone seeking information on the plethora of attitudes towards fertility that are at work in today's global and multi-cultural world.

Ruth Landau is an associate professor at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Chair of the Institutional Review Board of the Hebrew University. In the past she acted as the Executive Director of the Israeli Family Planning Association for eight years. Ruth has also published widely on social work and ethics and their relation to the issues surrounding fertility.

Eric Blyth is professor of social work at the University of Huddersfield, UK, and visiting professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is co-chair of the British Association of Social Workers Project Group on Assisted Reproduction. His interest in assisted conception originates from his own experience of childlessness, infertility treatment and adoption. Eric is Editor of the British Journal of Social Work and actively provides consultation for governments, regulatory and professional bodies and the media on assisted conception and related fertility issues.