Disability's Challenge to Theology: Genes, Eugenics, and the Metaphysics of Modern Medicine

Devan Stahl's book uses insights from disability studies to understand the ethical implications of genetic technologies for Christian thought, arguing that engagement with metaphysics and a theology of nature is crucial for Christians to evaluate genetic science and the moral use of genetic technologies. It proposes the church as the locus for reimagining disability in a way that will significantly influence the debates concerning genetic therapies and provides normative, theological guidance on the use of genetic technologies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2022
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press

This book delves into the ethical implications of genetic technologies, drawing upon insights from disability studies to provide a deeper understanding. Theologians have long debated genetic engineering, but a significant concern has been the impact on individuals with genetic disabilities. In this ambitious and thought-provoking work, Devan Stahl argues that engagement with metaphysics and a theology of nature is essential for Christians to evaluate both genetic science and the moral use of genetic technologies, including human genetic engineering, gene therapy, genetic screenings, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and gene editing. By incorporating theological notions of creation ex nihilo and natural law alongside insights from disability studies, the book aims to reimagine the debate surrounding genetic well-being.

Following the work of Stanley Hauerwas, Stahl proposes the church as a focal point for reimagining disability in a way that will have a significant influence on the discussions surrounding genetic therapies. Stahl's project in "genethics" is driven by a keen awareness of her own liberal Protestant traditions' early embrace of eugenics in the name of scientific and medical advancement, and she constructively engages with the Catholic traditions' metaphysical approach to bioethical questions to overcome limitations in Protestant thinking on natural law.

Christianity has often been complicit in excluding, degrading, and marginalizing individuals with disabilities, but the new Christian metaphysics developed through disability perspectives offers normative theological guidance on the use of genetic technologies in the present day. As Stahl demonstrates in her study, only by listening to the voices of people with disabilities can Christians remain faithful to their values.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780268202972