SJE Sem:Christian Bioethics Debates

Instructor:       Antony Alumkal (He/Him)

Office Phone:  303-765-3131

Email: aalumkal@iliff.edu

Course Description:

A survey of major bioethical debates and the perspectives offered by different Christian denominations and organizations. Topics include stem cell research, cloning, human genetic engineering, euthanasia, and vaccinations. Students will learn how the specific debates are shaped by larger religious dynamics, such as the ways in which both liberal and evangelical Protestants have historically turned to science to validate their theological stances.

Click Link for Draft Syllabus in Word File

AlumkalISTSJEBioethicsW2022Draft4.doc

The course will explore the following:

1. The different types of ethical reasoning used to justify positions on bioethical issues.
2. How religious beliefs, culture, politics, and socioeconomics all influence the positions that individuals and organization adopt.
3. The role of (and disregard for) scientific data and logic in arriving at bioethical positions.
4. The student’s own tentative positions on bioethical issues.

1. The following books are required texts for the course.

Cole-Turner, Ronald, ed. 2008. Design and Destiny: Jewish and Christian Perspectives on Human Germline Modification. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Shannon, Thomas A. and Nicholas J. Kockler. 2009. An Introduction to Bioethics. Fourth Edition. New York: Paulist Press.

Waters, Brent and Ronald Cole-Turner, ed. 2003. God and the Embryo: Religious Voices on Stem Cells and Cloning. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

 

2. The following readings are available as pdfs on the Canvas site:

Alumkal, Antony. 2017. Paranoid Science: The Christian Right’s War on Reality. New York: New York University Press. Chapter 3.

Balmer, Randall. 2006. Thy Kingdom Come: An Evangelical’s Lament. New York: Basic Books. Chapter 1.

Christian Century. 2007. “Extraordinary Measures.” Christian Century 124 (October 16):5.

Foley, Kathleen and Herbert Hendin. 2002. “Changing the Future.” Pp. 311-32 in The Case Against Assisted Suicide: For the Right to End-of-Life Care. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Fridman, Ariel, Rachel Gershon, and Ayelet Gneezy. 2021. “COVID-19 and Vaccine Hesitancy: A Longitudinal Study.” PLOS ONE: 16 (4).

Jones, Rachel K., Elizabeth Witwer, and Jenna Jerman. 2019. “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2017.” New York: Guttmacher Institute.

Peters, Rebecca Todd. 2018. Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice. Boston: Beacon Press. Introduction and Chapter 1

Peters, Ted. 2017. “Should CRISPR Scientists Play God?” Religions 8.

Quill, Timothy E. and Margaret P. Battin. 2004. “Excellent Palliative Care as the Standard, Physician-Assisted Dying as a Last Resort.” Pp. 323-33 in Physician-Assisted Dying: The Case for Palliative Care and Patient Choice. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Roberts, Samual K. 2008. African American Christian Ethics. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock. Chapter 10.

Rus, Meta and Urh Groselj. 2021. “Ethics of Vaccination in Childhood—A Framework Based on the Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics.” Vaccines 9.

Saunders, William L. 2004. “The Human Embryo in Debate.” Pp. 115-135 in Human Dignity in the Biotech Century, edited by Charles W. Colson and Nigel M. de S. Cameron. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

 

3. The following readings are available for free download.

Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations. 2021. “Episcopal Church Toolkit for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution.”

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/office-government-relations/covid-vaccine-toolkit/

Miller, Robert T. 2005. “The Legal Death of Terri Schiavo.” First Things

https://www.firstthings.com/article/2005/05/the-legal-death-of-terri-schiavo

Smith, Wesley J. 2021. “Questioning Vaccine Mandates.” Discovery Institute Center on Human Exceptionalism

https://humanize.today/2021/08/questioning-vaccine-mandates/

State of California. End of Life Option Act

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/End-of-Life-Option-Act-.aspx

State of Oregon. Death with Dignity Act Annual Reports.

https://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/ar-index.aspx

UNC Writing Center. “Fallacies”

https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/fallacies

1. The first type of assignment in the course will be regular postings on Canvas. Each posting assignment will require a minimum of two posts from you. The first post will involve answering the assignment question, which will be on Canvas. The second post will involve responding to another student’s answer. The responses should involve more than simply saying “I agree” or “I disagree” by adding more analysis (e.g. discussing why the statement may be true), nuance (e.g. saying that you believe the statement is true in some cases but not in others), or application (e.g. here are some implications for religious leaders). The point is to have a conversation. If you post at all required times and your posts are good quality, you can expect to get full credit (that mean an A).

 

2. Students are required to attend Gathering Day sessions. [I am waiting for more information from the Dean’s office, but the enrollment so far is too small to split in half.]

 

3. The final research paper should be 8-10 pages and demonstrate the student’s understanding of the course readings.

a) Option 1: Describe a source (book, article, movie, etc.) presenting an individual or organization’s perspective on a bioethical issue. Compare and contrast it with the perspectives in the course readings.

b) Option 2: Some other type of research paper related to the material in the course. Be sure to clear it with the instructor before starting.

Discussion Group Posts: 30%

Gathering Days Participation: 20%

Final Paper: 50%

 

This course may be taken pass/fail, but you must request this in writing (email is fine) during the first two weeks. It is not necessary to provide a justification for your request.

 

My assumption is that students in a masters program can be expected to produce above average academic work. Therefore, the modal grade I assign is B+. A paper will earn a B+ if it 1) fulfills all of the requirements of the assignment and 2) demonstrates that the student has a solid (though not necessarily flawless) understanding of the con­cepts in the course readings and lectures. A paper will earn a grade higher than a B+ if it fulfills the assignment and demonstrates exceptional insight into the course concepts. A paper will earn a grade of B or B- if there are minor to moderate shortcomings in either fulfilling the assignment or demonstrating understanding of course concepts. Grades below B- are reserved for papers with major shortcomings in either area.