Covenantal biomedical ethics for contemporary medicine
Subtitle: an alternative to principles-based ethics
By: James J. Rusthoven ; foreword by Craig G. Bartholomew
Contributors: Bartholomew, Craig G., 1961- author of introduction, etc
Publisher: Pickwick Publications
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Eugene, Oregon
Language: eng
Number of pages: 314
ISBN-13: 9781625640024
Copyright date: 2014
Subjects: Religion and Medicine; Bioethical Issues; Religion and ethics; Bioethics; Medicine; Medical ethics; Religious aspects
Description: Principles-based biomedical ethics has been a dominant paradigm for the teaching and practice of biomedical ethics for over three decades. Attractive in its conceptual and linguistic simplicity, it has also been criticized for its lack of moral content and justification and its lack of attention to relationships. This book identifies the modernist and postmodernist worldviews and philosophical roots of principlism that ground the moral minimalism of its common morality premise. Building on previous work by prominent Christian bioethicists, an alternative covenantal ethical framework is presented in our contemporary context. Relationships constitute the core of medicine, and understanding the ethical meaning of those relationships is important in providing competent and empathic care. While the notion of covenant is articulated through the richness of meaning taught in the Christian Scriptures, covenantal commitment is also appreciated in Islamic, Jewish, and even pagan traditions as well. In a world of increasing medical knowledge and consequent complexity of care, such commitment can help to resist enticements toward the pursuit of self-interest. It can also improve relationships among caregivers, each of whose specific expertise must be woven into a matrix of care that constitutes optimal medical practice for each vulnerable and needy patient. --
Notes: Revision of author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Bristol, 2011, under title A Christian covenantal ethical model for biomedical ethics : an alternative to principles-based ethics.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-300) and index.
Table of contents: title: Part 1. The rise and dominance of principles-based biomedical ethics. The rise of principlism in response to an ethical crisis; title: Challenges to principlism; title: Perspectives on principles from diverse faith traditions; title: Richness and depth of understanding within faith traditions; title: Part 2. A modest proposal for a biblical covenantal biomedical ethic. Conceptual support for covenantal biomedical ethics; title: Groundwork for a contemporary covenantal ethic; title: Envisioning medicine within a covenantal ethic; title: The four principles revisited; title: Epilogue: The end of the beginning.