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Interaction between Peter Singer and Christian ethics, to the
extent that it has happened at all, has been unproductive and often
antagonistic. Singer sees himself as leading a 'Copernican
Revolution' against a sanctity of life ethic, while many Christians
associate his work with a 'culture of death.' Charles Camosy shows
that this polarized understanding of the two positions is a
mistake. While their conclusions about abortion and euthanasia may
differ, there is surprising overlap in Christian and Singerite
arguments, and disagreements are interesting and fruitful.
Furthermore, it turns out that Christians and Singerites can even
make common cause, for instance in matters such as global poverty
and the dignity of non-human animals. Peter Singer and Christian
ethics are far closer than almost anyone has imagined, and this
book is valuable to those who are interested in fresh thinking
about the relationship between religious and secular ethics.
Interaction between Peter Singer and Christian ethics, to the
extent that it has happened at all, has been unproductive and often
antagonistic. Singer sees himself as leading a 'Copernican
Revolution' against a sanctity of life ethic, while many Christians
associate his work with a 'culture of death.' Charles Camosy shows
that this polarized understanding of the two positions is a
mistake. While their conclusions about abortion and euthanasia may
differ, there is surprising overlap in Christian and Singerite
arguments, and disagreements are interesting and fruitful.
Furthermore, it turns out that Christians and Singerites can even
make common cause, for instance in matters such as global poverty
and the dignity of non-human animals. Peter Singer and Christian
ethics are far closer than almost anyone has imagined, and this
book is valuable to those who are interested in fresh thinking
about the relationship between religious and secular ethics.
It is no secret: the body of Christ in the United States is broken.
While universality-and unity amid diversity-is a fundamental
characteristic of Roman Catholicism, all-too-familiar issues
related to gender, sexuality, race, and authority have rent the
church. Healthy debates, characteristic of a living tradition,
suffer instead from an absence of genuine engagement and dialogue.
But there is still much that binds American Catholics. In naming
the wounds and exploring their social and religious underpinnings,
Polarization in the US Catholic Church underscores how shared
beliefs and aspirations can heal deep fissures and the hurts they
have caused. Cutting across disciplinary and political lines, this
volume brings essential commentary in the direction of reclaimed
universality among American Catholics.
The abortion debate in the United States is confused.
Ratings-driven media coverage highlights extreme views and creates
the illusion that we are stuck in a hopeless stalemate. In this
book, now in paperback (published in hardcover in March 2015)
Charles Camosy argues that our polarised public discourse hides the
fact that most Americans actually agree on the major issues at
stake in abortion morality and law. Unpacking the complexity of the
abortion issue, Camosy shows that placing oneself on either side of
the typical polarisations - pro-life vs. pro-choice, liberal vs.
conservative, Democrat vs. Republican - only serves to further
confuse the debate and limits our ability to have fruitful
dialogue. Camosy then proposes a new public policy that he believes
is consistent with the beliefs of the broad majority of Americans
and supported by the best ideas and arguments about abortion from
both secular and religious sources.
"For Love of Animals" is an honest and thoughtful look at our
responsibility as Christians with respect to animals. Many
Christians misunderstand both history and their own tradition in
thinking about animals. They are joined by prominent secular
thinkers who blame Christianity for the Western world's failure to
seriously consider the moral status of animals.
This book explains how traditional Christian ideas and
principles--like nonviolence, concern for the vulnerable, respect
for life, stewardship of God's creation, and rejection of
consumerism--require us to treat animals morally. Though this point
of view is often thought of as liberal, the book cites several
conservatives who are also concerned about animals. Camosy's
Christian argument transcends secular politics.
The book's starting point for a Christian position on animals--from
the creation story in Genesis to Jesus' eating habits in the
Gospels--rests in Scripture. It then moves to explore the views of
the Church Fathers, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and
current discussions in both Catholic and Protestant theology.
Ultimately, however, the book is concerned not with abstract ideas,
but with how we should live our everyday lives. Should Christians
eat meat? Is cooperation with factory farming evil? What sort of
medical research on animals is justified? Camosy also asks
difficult questions about hunting and pet ownership.
This is an ideal resource for those who are interested in thinking
about animals from the perspective of Christian ethics and the
consistent ethic of life. Discussion questions at the end of each
chapter and suggestions for further reading round out the
usefulness of this important work.
In Too Expensive to Treat? Charles Camosy takes readers deep into
the emotionally charged and expensive world of the neonatal
intensive care unit to examine the hard truth about heath care
rationing in the United States. While fully affirming the human
worth of even the tiniest baby, Camosy maintains that all people
have equal dignity and should have an equal right to a
proportionate share of community health care resources. Readers may
find Camosys arguments provocative, even troubling but the
conversation he draws them into is one that cannot be ignored. A
substantial contribution to the literature on controlling
health-care costs. . . . Camosy has written a provocative book,
marrying the ordinary/extraordinary means tradition to Catholic
social teaching and arguing that it is morally necessary to take
costs into account in making decisions about who should receive
high-tech neonatal intensive care. Since the magnitude of the
problems Camosy addresses will only increase, this is a book that
should be read for years to come. Daniel Sulmasy University of
Chicago This book is a must-read for neonatologists and
bioethicists, for religious leaders of all Christian traditions,
and for policy makers. While Camosy focuses on the imperiled
newborn and Medicaid, his argument could easily be expanded to
imperiled cases of any age. Steven R. Leuthner Medical College of
Wisconsin Camosy not only shows us how to solve a pressing social
and bioethical problem. He also shows us how principles regarding
human dignity, ordinary and extraordinary means, and social justice
unite to form a coherent bioethical approach to health care justice
that resonates far beyond the Catholic tradition. Camosys proposal
will delight some and disturb others, but it deserves the closest
attention of neonatologists, bioethicists, health policy experts,
and anyone who hopes for a more just health care system in the
United States. Gerald McKenny University of Notre Dame
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