Catholic Bioethics and the Gift of Human Life, Third Edition


Book Description

"In this revision of his already classic text, William May shows us once again the wisdom of the Catholic Church's moral tradition in its application to contemporary bioethics. Illuminating and engaging - and with the attention to nuance that marks all of May's writing." - Edward J. Furton, M.A., Ph.D., Ethicist and Director of Publications, The National Catholic Bioethics Center "Since it was first published, Dr. May's text Catholic Bioethics and the Gift of Human Life has served an irreplaceable role in Catholic moral education. His new revision adds clear systematic treatments of several additional issues of pressing moral concern to the Church and society. Catholic educators everywhere will welcome this excellent revision. I welcome it! - E. Christian Brugger, Associate Professor of Moral Theology, Institute for the Psychological Sciences "With so much bioethical thinking supporting the 'culture of death,' I can think of no better champion of a 'culture of life' than Professor William E. May. Professor May has given us a book which is useful not only for its masterful summary of the moral magisterium on bioethics, but also for its treatment of such issues as contraception, artificial reproduction, the care of the dying, human experimentation, and the definition of death and organ transplants." - Dr. Mark S. Latkovic, Associate Professor of Moral Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary What the Church teaches - and why - on issues of euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, genetic counseling, assisted suicide, living wills, persistent vegetative state, organ transplants, and more.




Catholic Bioethics and the Gift of Human Life, 2nd Edition


Book Description

"In this revision of his already classic text, William May shows us once again the wisdom of the Catholic Church's moral tradition in its application to contemporary bioethics. Illuminating and engaging -- and with the attention to nuance that marks all of May's writing." -- Edward J. Furton, M.A., Ph.D., Ethicist and Director of Publications, The National Catholic Bioethics Center "With so much bioethical thinking supporting the 'culture of death,' I can think of no better champion of a 'culture of life' than Professor William E. May. Professor May has given us a book which is useful not only for its masterful summery of the moral magisterium on bioethics, but also for its treatment of such issues as contraception, artificial reproduction, the care of the dying, human experimentation, and the definition of death and organ transplants." -- Dr. Mark S. Latkovic, Associate Professor of Moral Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary What the Church teaches -- and why -- on issues of euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, genetic counseling, assisted suicide, living wills, persistent vegetative state, organ transplants, and more.







Catholic Bioethics and the Gift of Human Life


Book Description

What the Church teaches -- and why -- on issues of euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, genetic counseling, assisted suicide, living wills, persistent vegetative state, organ transplants, and more.




Bioethics, Law, and Human Life Issues


Book Description

Bioethics, Law, and Human Life Issues: A Catholic Perspective on Marriage, Family, Contraception, Abortion, Reproductive Technology, and Death and Dying draws on the Magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church to outline a Catholic response to a host of controversial issues related to human life. Scarnecchia lays out a Catholic moral theology based on the writings of Pope John Paul II and Thomas Aquinas, and he then applies those Christian moral principles to today's most contentious ethical issues, including reproductive technology, embryo adoption, contraception, abortion, family and same-sex marriage, and euthanasia and assisted suicide. This review of Catholic moral principles brings together an in-depth consideration of the central human life issues of our day with abundant reference to the Church's social teaching and to contrasting positions of today's leading ethicists.




Informed Consent, Proxy Consent, and Catholic Bioethics


Book Description

This work offers a comprehensive understanding rooted in Catholic anthropology and moral theory of the meaning and limits of informed and proxy consent to experimentation on human subjects. In particular, it seeks to articulate the rationale for proxy consent in both therapeutic and nontherapeutic settings. As to the former, the book proposes that the Golden Rule, recognizing the basic inclinations of human nature toward objective goods perfective of human persons, should underpin the notion of proxy consent to experimentation on humans. As to the latter, an additional scrutiny of the amount of risk involved is necessary, since the risk-benefit ratio frequently invoked to justify higher-risk therapeutic research does not exist in its nontherapeutic counterpart. This study discusses a number of possible solutions to this question and develops a position that builds upon the objective notion of the human good.




An Introduction To Moral Theology, 2nd Edition


Book Description

Faith & Morals Here - carefully documented, footnoted, and indexed - is not only what the Church teaches but also why it is obligated to do so. And, why its members are obligated to examine and to apply that teaching. This updated and expanded edition of a text long trusted and widely used in colleges, universities, and seminaries (as well as in high schools and parish religious-education programs), offers the latest Catholic teaching on moral theology, including: Moral theology: its nature, purpose, and biblical foundation Human dignity, free human action, virtue, and conscience Natural law, moral absolutes, and sin Christian faith and our moral life Read why - and how - living what the Church teaches can transform hearts, minds, and souls.




Catholic Sexual Ethics


Book Description

The authoritative work on the Church's teaching on sexual morality has been thoroughly updated to address dimensions of this complex topic that have emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Since publication of the 2nd edition of Catholic Sexual Ethics, the philosophical landscape of human sexuality has dramatically changed. The rise of such concerns as moral relativism, the drive for same-sex unions, and a drastic redefinition of "marriage" and "family" have underscored the need for an unambiguous, up-to-date understanding of Catholic sexual teaching. Features: Summary of Catholic teaching on sexuality from biblical times to our own. Presentation of principal elements of the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI on marriage in the early years of his pontificate. Discussion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 2003 Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons. Integration of more recent materials that clarify issues into the existing framework of the book. Whether you are involved in ministry, education, or catechesis, you will benefit from having this essential resource near at hand.




Contemporary Controversies in Catholic Bioethics


Book Description

This volume comprises various viewpoints representing a Catholic perspective on contemporary practices in medicine and biomedical research. The Roman Catholic Church has had a significant impact upon the formulation and application of moral values and principles to a wide range of controversial issues in bioethics. Catholic leaders, theologians, and bioethicists have elucidated and marshaled arguments to support the Church’s definitive positions on several bioethical issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, and reproductive cloning. Not all bioethical issues, however, have been definitively addressed by Catholic authorities, and some Church teachings allow for differing applications in diverse circumstances. Moreover, as new biomedical technologies emerge, Church authorities rely on experts in science, medicine, philosophy, theology, law, and other disciplines to advise them. Such experts continue to debate issues related to reproduction, genetics, end-of-life care, and health care policy. This volume will be a valuable resource for scholars in bioethics or Catholic studies, who will benefit from the nuanced arguments offered based on the latest research. This volume is also instructive for students entering the field to become aware of the founding philosophical and theological principles informing the Catholic bioethical worldview.




John Paul II's Contribution to Catholic Bioethics


Book Description

Any list of the most influential figures of the second half of the twentieth century would arguably have to begin with the name of Pope John Paul II. From 1978, when he was inaugurated, to the present, over a quarter of a century later, the Pope has been a dominant force in the world, both within the Catholic and Christian Church, and in the larger international community. Among the areas in which the Pope has been of signal importance to contemporary discussion, argument, and policy has been the field of bioethics. This collection brings together for the first time in an accessible and readable form a summary and assessment of John Paul II's contribution to bioethical issues and theories. It includes discussion of the Pope's views on the dignity of the person and the sanctity of human life, and the application of these views to various difficulties in medical ethics such as abortion and embryo research, the right to health care and the problem of suffering. Throughout, attention is paid to the way in which the Pope stands as a recognizably authentic voice for the Catholic faith in the medical arena.