Orthodox Christian Bioethics: Some Foundational Differences from Western Christian Bioethics

Just as the physics of Newton and Einstein are separated by foundationally different paradigms, so that key terms such as time, space, mass, and energy have different meanings in the different physics, this is also the case with respect to the various Christianities. Given different theological fram...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Engelhardt, H. Tristram (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2011
In: Studies in Christian ethics
Year: 2011, Volume: 24, Issue: 4, Pages: 487-499
Further subjects:B Orthodox Christian theology
B Bioethics
B moral pluralism
B Roman Catholic bioethics
B Abortion
B Christian moral theology
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Electronic
Description
Summary:Just as the physics of Newton and Einstein are separated by foundationally different paradigms, so that key terms such as time, space, mass, and energy have different meanings in the different physics, this is also the case with respect to the various Christianities. Given different theological frameworks, the ‘same term’ can have different extensions and intensions. This essay explores the implications of the differences in the theological paradigm shaping Orthodox Christianity in contrast to Western Christianity, in particular Roman Catholicism, with a special focus on the differences in the communities’ appreciation of the wrongness of abortion. Using the example of abortion, the contrast between Orthodox Christianity’s noetically grounded approach to moral-theological issues and that which developed in the West and gave centrality to a philosophically shaped moral theology is explored.
ISSN:0953-9468
Contains:Enthalten in: Studies in Christian ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0953946811415018