Overview

This collection of original essays by scientists, theologians, religious studies scholars, and ethicists offers an authoritative, illuminating, and thought-provoking overview of the CRISPR controversy. Genetic science at times ignites explosions of public controversy. In the early 1990s, the Human Genome Project, along with Jurassic Park, frightened the world with genetic determinism. The cloning controversy of 1997 and the stem cell controversy of 1998 prompted bitter moral stand-offs. The fuse has just been lit for the next explosion: the CRISPR controversy. The CRISPR Revolution in Science, Religion, and Ethics channels the energy of that explosion into constructive reflection on the implications of this revolutionary science for religion, ethics, and public policy. Chapters accessibly explain the science behind gene editing and draw out its implications for social impact. This volume reviews the history of genomics from 1990 to date, with special attention to cloning and stem cell research. Contributors address the significance of gene technology for understanding human nature within specific religious traditions. Most importantly, they analyze selected ethical issues: therapy versus enhancement, germ line modification, designer children, patenting, and the long-term effects of gene drive proposals.

Full Product Details

Author:   Arvin M. Gouw (University of Cambridge, UK) ,  Ted Peters (Graduate Theological Union, USA)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
ISBN:  

9781440871788

ISBN 10:   1440871787
Pages:   200
Publication Date:   23 January 2025
Recommended Age:   From 7 to 17 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  

Table of Contents

Foreword, Harvard Personal Genomics Education Group, Nadine Vicenten and Marnie Gelbart (Harvard University, USA) 1. Introduction to CRISPR Revolution in Science, Ethics, and Religion, Arvin M. Gouw (University of Cambridge, UK) 2. CRISPR, Theology, and Ethics, Ted Peters (Graduate Theological Union, USA) 3. Hindu Bioethics View on CRISPR Based Embryo Editing, Joyeeta Talukdar et al. (IIT-Guwahati, India) 4. CRISPR and Catholic Ethics, Lisa Fullam (Santa Clara University, USA) 5. Heritable Human Genome Editing: CRISPR, Theology, and the Future, Ron Cole-Turner (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, USA) 6. The Biopolitics of CRISPR, Sheila Jasanoff (Harvard Kennedy School, USA) 7. Eugenics, Liberation, and Dignity: Developing an Anti-Eugenic Ethic for CRISPR Embryonic Modification, John Slattery (Duquesne University, USA) 8. Of Viruses, Pandemics, and CRISPR, Martinez J. Hewlett (University of Arizona, USA) 9. Ethical Issues in CRISPR for Human Space Missions, Konrad Szocik (University of Information Technology and Management, Poland) 10. Everything Old Is New Again: CRISPR, Ethics, and Enhancement, Braden Molhoek (Graduate Theological Union, USA) Index

Reviews

Every now and then, something happens in science that leaves us awe-struck. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing is one of those revolutions. Arvin M. Gouw and Ted Peters have done theologians and communities of faith a great service with these responses to this remarkable technology and the moral, medical, and spiritual challenges it poses. * Andrew Davison, Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford, UK * An excellent introduction to the issues surrounding CRISPR/Cas 9 technologies from religious perspectives. The volume includes a diverse set of perspectives from many of the top voices in the field. Importantly, it includes underrepresented voices and topics in religious critiques, such as Hinduism, space exploration, and biopolitics. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in how DNA editing technology will change our lives and the world. * Bethany Sollereder, Lecturer in Science and Religion, University of Edinburgh, UK * This timely collection draws out many much-needed connections between the cultural domains of science, religion and ethics, in order for societies to responsibly deal with and critically reflect on the uncertain risks and opportunities involved with the CRISPR revolution. * Arthur C. Petersen, Professor of Science, Technology and Public Policy, University College London, UK, and editor of Zygon * In the middle of a biological revolution, Arvin Gouw and Ted Peters have assembled a collection of scholarly forecasts of a new future only now taking shape. This volume is scientifically informative, ethically constructive, and religiously affirmative. * Robert John Russell, Founder, Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, USA * In this landmark volume, Gouw and Peters present the perspectives of many of today's most brilliant thinkers on the relationship between CRISPR technology, religion, and ethics. For anyone considering the ethical and social implications of this technology, this book is a must-read. * Brian Patrick Green, Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, USA *

Author Information

Arvin M. Gouw works in the field of theology and science at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, UK. Ted Peters is a futurist and scholar who focuses on the interaction between theology and science. He coedits the journal Theology and Science for the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, USA.

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