Amid continuing advances in medical research and treatment, Gilbert Meilaender’s Bioethics has long provided thoughtful guidance on many of society’s most difficult moral problem
Amid continuing advances in medical research and treatment, Gilbert Meilaender’s Bioethics has long provided thoughtful guidance on many of society’s most difficult moral problems—including abortion, assisted reproduction, genetic experimentation, euthanasia, and much more. In this fourth edition, Meilaender updates much of the data referenced in the book and responds directly to recent developments, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 method of gene editing. Christians seeking discernment in this new decade will appreciate Meilaender’s circumspect writing and his ability to address the nuances of each issue while maintaining strong and clearly stated moral convictions.
PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK
First Things
“The Christian who simply wants to get a reliable handle on bioethics will find nothing better than this splendid little book. . . . It is seldom, and therefore all the more welcome, that one who is a master of his field takes the time to walk the nonspecialist through it. Meilaender does that without a hint of condescension, and with an easy style that will engage those who might otherwise be intimidated by his expertise. Highly recommended.”
Publishers Weekly
“A thoughtful introduction to the ethical questions surrounding medical issues at the nexus of life and death.”
Booklist
“Meilaender gives his reasoning, carefully worked out from Christian writings, for each of his major conclusions. . . . Concise and definite, his primer does its duty well.”
Journal of Christian Nursing
“This pithy little book offers a vision and wisdom rarely found in volumes many times its size.”
Religion & Liberty
“Insightful, readable, and very wise. . . . Deserve[s inclusion in an undergraduate class in Christian ethics.”
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Gilbert Meilaender is senior research professor at Valparaiso University. He served on the President's Council on Bioethics from 2002 to 2009. His other books include Neither Beast nor God: The Dignity of the Human Person and The Way That Leads There: Augustinian Reflections on the Christian Life.
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Table of Contents
Introduction: An Approach to Bioethics
1. Christian Vision
2. Procreation versus Reproduction
3. Abortion
4. Genetic Advance
5. Prenatal Screening
6. Suicide and Euthanasia
7. Refusing Treatment
8. Who Decides?
9. Gifts of the Body: Organ Donation
10. Gifts of the Body: Human Experimentation
11. Embryos: The Smallest of Research Subjects
12. Sickness and Health
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