Birth ethics : religious and cultural values in the genesis of life /

Drawing on a wealth of experience, Protestant theological ethicist Kenneth Vaux here presents, as part of a larger work, a thoughtful and significant effort with two major strengths. First, Vaux brings together all important questions revolving around birth: ecology, human sexuality inluding AIDS and homosexuality, affection and marriage, care for children, abortion, genetics, artificial means of reproduction, imperiled newborns, infant death. Second and more important, as he takes up the various issues he gradually builds an ethics that moves beyond such familiar secular catagories as autonomy and beneficence to show the relevance of apocalyptic imagination, the sense of God's presence, Christ the healer, eschatology. The result is impressive: informed, humane, wise, cautious at some points, prophetic in its concern for children. Unfortunately, the book has flaws. It deserved more careful editing than it received. A difficult style, sometimes lyrical, occasionally almost turgid, along with unexplained medical and theological terms would make the work hard going for undergraduates. More advanced readers will be richly rewarded. There is no bibliography, but there are notes and an index. -G. L. Frear Jr., St. Lawrence University