Jewish and Catholic Bioethics

Life, death, suffering and meaning are the primary texts of contemporary biomedicine... this ground breaking conversation among some of today's most insightful Jewish and Christian bioethicists challenges us to explore these texts with both passion and perspective. -- Michael A. Grodin, MD, Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health A probing combination of Jewish, Christian and secular thought. This volume challenges many preconceptions about fundamental ethical beliefs of major religions. -- Kevin O'Rourke, OP, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center

Drawing on multiple interconnected scriptural and spiritual sources, the Jewish tradition of ethical reflection is intricate and nuanced. This book presents Jewish perspectives on suffering, healing, life, and death, and compares them with contemporary Christian and secular views.Drawing on multiple interconnected scriptural and spiritual sources, the Jewish tradition of ethical reflection is intricate and nuanced. This book presents scholarly Jewish perspectives on suffering, healing, life, and death, and it compares them with contemporary Christian and secular views. The Jewish perspectives presented in this book are mainly those of orthodox scholars, with the responses representing primarily Christian-Catholic points of view. Readers unfamiliar with the Jewish tradition will find here a practical introduction to its major voices, from Spinoza to Jewish religious law. The contributors explore such issues as active and passive euthanasia, abortion, assisted reproduction, genetic screening, and health care delivery. Offering a thoughtful and thought-provoking dialogue between Jewish and Christian scholars, "Jewish and Catholic Bioethics" is an important contribution to ecumenical understanding in the realm of health care.