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Who/se we are: baptism as personhood.

K G Meador1, J J Shuman

  • 1Duke University, Divinity School, Box 90967, Durham, NC 27708, USA.

Christian Bioethics
|August 9, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Defining personhood in bioethics is complex. Christian perspectives argue against formal criteria, especially those based on mental capacity, asserting no neutral designation exists.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Ethics
  • Moral Philosophy
  • Christian Theology

Background:

  • The concept of personhood is central to modern biomedical ethics and moral discourse.
  • Debates on personhood are intensified by advancements in biomedical technology.
  • Establishing universal criteria for personhood reflects a hope for moral consensus in a fragmented world.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically examine bioethical approaches to defining personhood.
  • To analyze the implications of formal, objective criteria for personhood from a Christian perspective.
  • To challenge the notion of morally neutral designations of personhood.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical analysis of bioethical frameworks.
  • Theological interpretation of Christian ethical traditions.
  • Argumentative essay drawing on ethical and theological reasoning.

Main Results:

  • Formal, objective criteria for designating personhood in bioethics are fundamentally misguided.
  • Criteria focusing on reflective mental capacity are particularly problematic from a Christian viewpoint.
  • The designation of personhood cannot be achieved through morally neutral means.

Conclusions:

  • Bioethical attempts to establish universal criteria for personhood are flawed.
  • Christian ethical traditions offer a critique of secular approaches to personhood.
  • There are no objective, value-neutral ways to determine personhood.
Keywords:
Analytical ApproachBioethics and Professional EthicsReligious Approach

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