Issue: June 2015: Surrogacy

Work on this issue of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics began while I was an intern at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America last summer for the Theological Discernment Team. I was given the task of beginning the editorial process for a future issue. As someone with a strong interest in feminist theology and issues pertaining to women, surrogacy (particularly commercial surrogacy) was a captivating topic. It raised a number of thought-provoking questions…

In her article, Surekha Nelavala compares surrogacy practices in India to those in North America. Writing from a feminist perspective, she contrasts surrogate mothers in North America who give “a priceless gift to the intended parents,” with the Indian fertility clinics, often dubbed “baby factories.” The thrust of the article deals with the dilemma that, while providing much needed income to many Indian families and thereby temporarily empowering surrogate mothers, the practices of the Indian surrogacy industry exploit and objectify surrogate mothers, often having disastrous and life-threatening effects on their lives and their families.

Hollowell, Adam Edward. Power and Purpose: Paul Ramsey and Contemporary Christian Political Theology. Grand Rapids, M.I.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2015. x + 230pp. $28.00.

Dialectical Theology and Jacques Ellul: An Introductory Exposition. Jacob E. Van Vleet. Fortress Press, 2014.