Medical Ethics

If in your research or teaching, you've ever asked, 'Where does that teaching come from?' this book will provide the answer. Like its predecessors, the fourth edition provides direct references with ample textual citations from a multitude of official Church documents ranging from papal encyclicals to the ERDs to statements by national bishops' conferences. The expansion of introductory sections on values, normative concepts and conscience in Church teaching as well as the integration of documents that relate to organizational ethics are both valuable additions. This text is an indispensable resource for ethicists, teachers of health care ethics, and health care professionals. For graduate students it provides ready access to source documents and context that internet searches cannot provide. In fact, it is a great find for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the reasoning behind the Church's moral tradition on health care. -- Charles Bouchard, OP, Ascension Health This updated edition of O'Rourke and Boyle's highly regarded compendium of Roman Catholic teachings and documents on medical ethics is an indispensable resource for health professionals in their daily work and for scholars and students wishing to stay abreast of the full range of professional discourse in bioethics. -- Edmund D. Pellegrino, MD, professor emeritus of medicine and medical ethics, Georgetown University This fourth edition is an invaluable volume. It brings together two seasoned theologians/ethicists, seasoned both in their intellectual preparation and experience in the clinical settings. They give us the Church's teaching in the Church's own words and an explanation of what it means in the clinical realities of today. Many clinicians, board members, and sponsors will benefit from this wonderful work. -- Carol Keehan, DC, president and chief executive officer, Catholic Health Association

Examines specific teachings of the Church on over seventy issues in clinical and research ethics, including abortion, AIDS, artificial insemination, assisted suicide, cloning, contraception, euthanasia, gene therapy, health care reform, organ donation and transplantation, organizational ethics, stem cells, and, surrogate motherhood.In a single convenient resource, this revised and updated edition of a classic text organizes and presents clearly the documents of the Catholic Church pertaining to medical ethics. Introductory chapters provide the context for interpreting the Church's teachings and theological values, guiding the reader in how to apply the teachings to particular ethical dilemmas and helping the reader to understand the role of conscience within the Catholic tradition. The teaching of the Church in regard to health care ethics is pertinent not only for health care professionals and students, but for all who are concerned about the common good of society. "Medical Ethics" examines specific teachings of the Church on over seventy issues in clinical and research ethics, including abortion, AIDS, artificial insemination, assisted suicide, cloning, contraception, euthanasia, gene therapy, health care reform, organ donation and transplantation, organizational ethics, stem cells, surrogate motherhood, and withholding and withdrawing life support. O'Rourke and Boyle bring this fourth edition up to the present day by incorporating recent papal documents regarding the social aspects of health care, assent to Church teaching, and the 2008 papal instruction Dignitas personae, an extremely influential document that illuminates such controversial dilemmas as prenatal adoption, frozen embryos, and genetic diagnosis.