Cloning
"We are learning to do a great many clever things," G. K. Chesterton famously observed. "Unless we are much mistaken the next great task will be to learn not to do them." Our contributors help us to explore how this aphorism applies to reproductive cloning and research cloning for embryonic stem cells.
James Marcum explains the process of human cloning and examines how "the heated debate in our society has been fueled by misconceptions and hyperbole on both sides." Much of the hype originates in "the cultural geography, the social enthusiasms, of our time" that Allen Verhey describes.
"Who is funding cloning research? Who will reap the benefits?" Lisa Cahill asks. For couples who endure infertility, Maura Ryan seeks a spirituality that sees "worship as a context for acquiring the grace to live into involuntary childlessness with hope and dignity."
The study guides and lesson plans integrate Bible study, prayer, and worship to help us explore fruitful new avenues of engagement between Christianity and Islam. The guides can be used in a series or individually. You may download and reproduce them for personal or group use.
Download the entire Cloning issue and the set of six Study Guides. Or, download individual pieces by clicking the titles below.
Articles
- "The Cultural Geography of Cloning," by Allen Verhey
- "Cloning Facts and Fictions," by James A. Marcum
- "Cloning Promises, Profits, and Privilege," by Lisa Sowle Cahill
- "A Theologian's Brief: The Human Embryo in Christian Tradition," by David Jones, et al.
- "Faith and Infertility," by Maura A. Ryan
- "Making Difficult Decisions," by Stuart R. Sprague
Art
- "Repeating Realities," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Joshua Smith, Found Wasp Nest
Hymn and Worship Service
- "God Who Searches, God Who Knows" by Terry W. York and C. David Bolin
- Worship Service by Ann Bell Worley
Inspirational Piece
- "Receiving the Gift of Creation," by William D. Shiell
Book Reviews
- "Beyond Minimalist Bioethics," by B. Andrew Lustig
- President's Council on Bioethics, Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness
- Allen Verhey, Reading the Bible in the Strange World of Medicine
- Gilbert Meilaender, Bioethics: A Primer for Christians
- "Are We Asking the Right Questions?" by Mark J. Cherry
- Brent Waters and Ronald Cole-Turner, eds., God and the Embryo: Religious Voices on Stem Cells and Cloning
- Ronald Cole-Turner, ed, Beyond Cloning: Religion and the Remaking of Humanity
- Suzanne Holland, Karen Lebacqz, and Laurie Zoloth, eds., The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy