Bioethics: where theology and science meet

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleBioetica - SPAȚIU AL ÎNTÂLNIRII DINTRE TEOLOGIE ȘI ȘTIINȚĂ
3. Language term Romanian
4. lemma author Stavinschi, Alexandra
5. lemma category Ethics - Scientific theories and disciplines > Medicine
6. Publication date 2015
7. lemma work Morariu, Maxim [Author]. BIOETICA - SPAȚIU AL ÎNTÂLNIRII DINTRE TEOLOGIE ȘI ȘTIINȚĂ [Bioethics: where theology and science meet]
8. lemma manifestations Altarul Banatului
9. Keywords euthanasia - clones - morality - interdisciplinarity - transplants
10. Url Click Here
11. Lemma body

    1. The evolution of science, in particular the evolution of medicine and of genetical engineering, has generated new challenges to theology. The Church is called to respond to this and to offer a Christian approach. Bioethics is a new discipline that has been developed to address these specific challenges. It favours the dialogue with experts and researchers in the field, and provides Christian principles intended to avoid disasters. Therefore, bioethics lies at the intersection between theology and science. The article, based on extensive literature on the topic, seeks to determine to what extent bioethics can offer solutions to concrete problems, and to what extent it can help reconcile the church with some discoveries of science or, conversely, to what extent it should firmly oppose others. In sharp contrast with the Catholic church, the Orthodox church has not always expressed a common view on the fierce debates raging in society. While it has unanimously and vigourously rejected some now widely accepted practices such as euthanasia or cloning, it has not shown the same consistent attitude with regard to others. Each Orthodox Church follows its own tradition and practices and relates differently to all these issues. For instance, the Russian church has often got together to discuss problems related to social theology and implicitly, to bioethics. In the year 2000, it issued an important document, praised by some and criticised by others, which in any case reveals its efforts to reach a common unified perspective. In other societies, such as the USA, which lack similar institutional authorities, considerable influence comes from the opinion of major theologians. Tristam Enghelhardt, for example, has extensively and competently discussed controversial issues such as the organ transplant. The Romanian orthodox church seems to operate very much like the American one. As of now, it has not issued an official document with legislative value, but it clearly welcomes the opinion of experts who are encouraged to exchange ideas at meetings organized by the Church itself, such as Seminarul Medicii şi Biserica [The Medics and Church Seminar], which takes place annually in Bistrita. The author concludes that the role of bioethics is to ensure that medics and genetic engineers do not take up the role of the divinity in order to prevent them from creating monsters; on the contrary, they are expected to put their work in the service of God. That is why this new discipline, which encompasses both theological and scientific skills, is perfectly suited to create bridges in the contemporary research areas to the benefit of all of the parties involved.