Christian Bioethics

T-311a-312b; AS-168; 1983-84;

Part I: FOUNDATIONS:

A. Introduction to Bioethics; Basic Bibliographies; Bioethical Resources;

B. Bioethics and Christianity today: overview;
C. Ethics, Moral Theology and the Teaching Office of the Church;
D. Medical Ethics and its development: historical overview;
E. The Health Seeker:
l. The Right to be fully human;
2. The Right to health;
3. Personal Responsibility for Health;
F. The Healing Profession:
1. The Health Care Profession;
2. Personalizing the Health Care Profession;
3. Social Organization of Health Care;
4. Codes of Professional Ethics in Health Care;

Part II: DECISION MAKING IN BIOETHICS

A. The Logic of Bioethical Decisions;

B. The Sanctity of Life;
C. Norms of Christian Decision in Bioethics:
1. Principle of well-formed conscience;
2. Principle of Free and Informed Consent;
3. Principle of Moral Discrimination;
4. Principle of Double Effect;
5. Principle of Legitimate Cooperation;
6. Principle of Professional Communication;
7. Principle of Human Dignity in Community;
8. Principle of the Common Good, Subsidiarity; and Functionalism;
9. Principle of Totality and Integrity;
10. Principle of Growth through Suffering;
11. Principle of Personalized Sexuality;
12. Principle of Stewardship and Creativity;

Part III: DIFFICULT BIOETHICAL DECISIONS:

A. Medical Limits:
1. Deciding who is the subject of Medical action;
2. Abortion: a. Notes from the Judeo/Christian Tradition;
b. Women’s right to decide;
c. Moment of hominisation: state of the question;
d. Controversial questions: rape & incest;
 -"wrongful life".
3. Triage and the limit to Extending care;
4. Human experimentation;

B. Sexuality and Reproduction

1. Contraception and Natural Family Planning
2. Sterilization and other methods of Contraception;
3. Artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization;
4. Surrogate motherhood
5. Treatment of Rape Victims;
6. Pastoral approach to medical sexual problems.

C. Reconstructing Human Beings:

1. Present and Future Capabilities;

2. Organ Transplantation;
3. Sexual Reassignment;
4. Genetic Screening and Counselling;
5. Genetic Reconstruction;

D. Psychotherapy and Behaviour Modification:

1. Concept of Mental Sickness;
2. Psychotherapeutic: Methods and Goals;
3. Ethical Problems of Psychotherapy;
4. Behaviour Control;
5. Addiction or Chemical Dependency;
6. Sex Therapy and Research;

E. Protecting human life in Conflict Situations:

1. Capital Punishment;
2. War, peace, nuclear deterrence;

F. Surgical Interventions:
1. Surgery to safeguard life and health;
2. Cosmetic Surgery;
3. Prophylactic and unnecessary surgery;
4. Ghost surgery;

G. Suffering and Death:

1. Fear of Death;
2. Defining death: various criteria;
3. Truth telling to the dying;
4. Notes From the Judeo/Christian Tradition;
5. Care for the corpse or cadaver;
6. Euthanasia and suicide; "death with dignity";
 7. "living wills";
8. Non-treatment of malformed infants;
9. Cryonics;

Part IV: Pastoral Ministry in Health Care:

A. Religious Ministry and the making of ethical decisions;

B. Religious ministry and the Health Care team;
C. Spiritual counselling in health care;
D. Celebrating the Healing Process: pastoral notes:
1. Baptism in the hospital;
2. Anointing the sick and reconciliation;
3. praying for healing;
E. Ethical Counselling and Pastoral Care;

"The Church guards the heritage of God's Word and draws from it
religious and moral principles, without always having at hand the
solution, to particular problems. She desires thereby to add the
light of revealed truth to mankind's store of experience, so that
the path which humanity has taken in recent times will not be a
dark one."

(Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, 1965, no. 33.)

 CHRISTIAN BIOETHICS

T-311a-312b; AS-168; 1983-84;

Course Assignments

TERM ONE:

1. Reading Log: 40;

2. Two term Tests: 30x2= 60; (Oct. 6; Dec. 1)
___
100

TERM Two:

1. Reading Log: 30 ;
2. Interview: 10;
3. Two Term Tests: 30x2= 60;
____
100

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Notes on the assignments:

1. The purpose of the reading log is to encourage the student to read

both the text book as well as significant sources and key documents
indicated by the course instructor. So often, essays are simply frenzied
efforts to cram a body of material into one's head, jam the material on
carefully lined pieces of paper, and slam it on a professor's desk one
minute before midnight! Hopefully, the reading log will take this kind
of pressure off the student, and enable each individual to pursue these
extremely difficult and complex questions more intensely and yet leisurely

2. The Following data should be in the log:

a. date when material read; amount of time spent reading and amount of
time spent writing the log;
b. a full reference to the source read;
c. a brief summary of the salient ideas of the material read;
d. descriptions or definitions of any key terms used repeatedly on the
material read;
e. an insightful notation of the significance of the material read,
significance either theologically, pastorally, or personally;
3. The log will be graded according to some of the following: quality and
depth of articles or books read; organization of material; insightfulness
of notes; regularity of entires; (Note: logs done the day before the
assignment is due invariably reveal this rushed approach! Lector caveat!)
amount read according to material and difficulty;

4. It is suggested that each student spend approx. 2 hours per week as a

minimum in working on their log;

5. The logs will be due: Dec. 1, 1983; March 22, 1984;

6. The interview will be in term two, and the students will be sent out two
by two to a knowledgable couple to discuss some to the material in the
course. This is a most fruitful and enjoyable assignment!

GO BIG FOR THE LORD!