Christian Ethics
Stem Cell Research: What is the author’s position and what is he/she doing with it? Why?
Book for Comparison: An Introduction to Christian Ethics
By: Roger H. Crook
5th Edition
ISBN #: 978-0-13-194794-8
Please use in-text and “works cited” MLA citatations, where appropriate.
More explicit instructions to this assignment are also attached.
Try to answer all 10 guide questions to the best of your ability.
The sooner I get a response, the better, but I plead you not to sacrifice quality for punctuality.
However, the reflection is due by 7:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Sunday, July 22nd, 2012.
Rel 250 Reflection Paper: Sources and Method
1. The article which you critique must come from a professional journal, not from a news magazine or newspaper. Professional theological and philosophical journals include: Theological Studies, Chicago Studies, Studia Moralia, the various reviews of religion, theology, etc. as well as the journals of the universities which have a major theological or philosophical faculty. Journals of other professions, such as Hastings Center Report (bioethical issues), may be used if the article cited has a moral question as its central focus.
2. Select an article in which the author takes a stand. The author asserts that something is either moral or immoral. He/she then defends his/her position with evidence and arguments. This is what you are to analyze. Overviews of the issue or summaries of the thought in the current literature are not good subjects for a critique.
3. Select an article which is at least 10 pages (2,500 words) in length. Articles shorter than this will not give you enough material to write a critique of 5-6 pages. You may choose to read a chapter in a book, if that chapter deals with a particular moral issue and the author takes a stand on the issue. .
4. In your critique, state what you intend to do in the first paragraph. Then, summarize briefly the author’s position. Don’t write a caricature. Don’t exaggerate the author’s position. State it clearly and fairly.
5. Analyze the author’s position from the perspective of the content of Rel 250. Some of the following questions should be answered. If you cannot answer the questions, you’d do best to seek another article for critique.
Helpful Questions
in Preparing a Critique for Rel 250
What aspect(s) of the human person does your author emphasize: physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, social? Find a sentence which reveals this. These reveal the non-moral, or pre-moral values important to your author.
What is the author’s attitude towards human freedom? I.e. does he/she perceive people as totally free, or totally conditioned by heredity or environment’? Or, does your author see a balance between freedom and determination?
What sources does the author use for moral values: The bible, science, philosophy, authorities (such as Church leaders, or the civil law), human culture generally understood. Cfr. Your notes on Gustafson from the first week of class. Find a sentence which reveals this.
Christian Ethics: What method does your author use? Does he/she cite rules (thus = deontological), goals (thus = teleological), or the virtues/character which people ought to have (thus = aretaic or character-virtue centered).
What concept of rights does your author espouse: rights as noninter¬ference, or rights as access to goods, or rights as endowments of goods by societal structures? Find a sentence which reveals this in your author.
How does your author deal with conflict of values? Does he/she have a hierarchy of values, so that some take priority over others? Or, does your author make use of the double effect? Which characteristics of the double effect does he/she employ: indirectness of the evil, proportionality of the good? Find a sentence which reveal this.
What understanding of love does your author reflect? Compare the author to Crook’s understanding of love.
Does your author perceive ethics as basically human (presuming that anyone will understand his/her position), or does he/she propose ethics specifically for Christians (heavy use of the Bible would indicate this)?
Does your author reveal the kind of participation in a community of value which Crook claims is necessary for making good moral choices?
Christian Ethics
If your author is a Christian, which “Alternative within Christian” ethics does he/she most closely reflect? If your author is not a Christian, which “Alternatives to Christian Ethics” does she/he reflect?
COMPARE YOUR AUTHOR WITH THE CHAPTER IN CROOK THAT ADDRESSES THE SAME ISSUE(S)…
E.g. if your paper is about capital punishment, compare the author’s views with Chapter 12 of Crook. Likewise with other topics…
stem_cell_research_journal_article
………………………….Answer preview…………………………..
This paper is a critique and reflection of the article on stem cell research by John F. Killer. The main arguments of the article stress on the future implications of stem cell research in the society. Consequently, the author successfully brings out ethical and social issues relating to treatment of diseases using stem cells. The author achieves the intended objective of the article by proving the social issues when dealing with stems cells…………………………………….
APA
865 words
