Science, Biological, Medical (genetics, illness/mental illness, death)

[1] Rather than discussing the scientific aspects of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research, I will turn immediately to the central issue of the stem cell debate for people of faith: the theological and moral status of the embryo. Christians historically have been concerned to respect life at every stage of its development, but what I […]

[1] The current human embryo debate seems ever so familiar to those who remember earlier controversies over human cloning, fetal experimentation, and abortion. Positions crystallize in familiar patterns; the same moral principles reappear; similar charges and counter-charges detonate. If we are at war — culture-wars — then these topics exemplify our hostilities. We are familiar […]

[1] Because Lutherans tend to emphasize that even the best of our achievements will be corrupted and tainted by what Helmut Thielicke called our “Babylonian heart,” they should, one might think, be modest in their expectation of any government’s ability to shape and foster a virtuous life among its citizens. [2] Moreover, politics is not […]

[1] One of the fields continuously raising ethical questions is the fast development within biotechnology. Constantly new possibilities arise and lead to ethical questions. For a Lutheran ethic the challenge is twofold – it is both a challenge to determine the key ethical questions in general and a question whether or not there is a […]

[1] Nanotechnology refers to a cluster of technologies directed to making, studying and manipulating structures at the nanometre scale. The prefix ‘nano’ comes from the Greek word nanos meaning dwarf, i.e. nano refers to something small. Nano designates 10-9 which means that one nanometre (nm) is one thousand millionth of a metre (Table 1). [2] […]

[1] The hopes for nanotechnology are evident in the amount of public funding devoted to it over the past few years.[1] Nanotechnology, indeed, has been proclaimed the source for a revolution comparable to the emergence of the steam engine, electrification, or computer technology.[2] The visions for nanotechnology include advancing broad societal goals such as better […]

[1] What is Nanotechnology? Most of us have some idea of what technology means, but it is the “nano” prefix that is puzzling. A nanometer is one-millionth of a millimeter, so the scale that we are looking at is miniscule. When we think about what sizes we see under a microscope, we are usually thinking […]

“The science of alchemy I like very well, and indeed, ’tis the philosophy of the ancients. I like it not only for the profits it brings in melting metals, in decocting, preparing, extracting and distilling herbs, roots; I like it also for the sake of the allegory and secret signification, which is exceedingly fine, touching […]

[1] This year, my three-year-old granddaughter wanted a doll for Christmas – but a very special kind of doll. “I want a doll just like me,” she instructed the family. “Only better.” [2] My granddaughter was not envisioning a doll manufactured by cloning her genetic material, or generated by cultivating an embryonic stem cell line, […]

This is the second article in a two-part series by Aana Vigen on “Listening to Women of Color with Breast Cancer: Theological and Ethical Insights for U.S. Healthcare.” Click here for part 1 of this series. [1] These women who have survived or are living with breast cancer shared a great deal of embodied wisdom […]