The Center for Bioethics at Cedarville University has announced the release of the first issue of their new journal, Bioethics in Faith and Practice. The publication is a peer-reviewed journal that will be published twice a year out of the Center for Bioethics at Cedarville University. The first issue features articles entitled: “A Call to Forward-Thinking in Bioethics,” “An Ethical Framework for End-of-Life Decisions” (peer-reviewed article), and “The Abortion Decision: What About Dad?”
Both academic and clinical scholars are invited to make submissions to the journal. According to the journal’s website, “The focus is on health care ethics, but it also may include articles of a more theoretical nature. Though it will emphasize Judeo-Christian values, we are open to a large variety of voices, including secular ones.” Topics within the scope of the article will include reproductive ethics, stem cell research, genetic ethics, abortion, research ethics, and conscience rights for health care professionals, according to the website.
Academic journals play a crucial role in developing a well-formed understanding of a wide array of issues within the Pro-Life movement. Accurate information about the science and bioethical considerations that shape the issues of the Pro-Life cause is crucial to not only our understanding of human Life, but also to our ability to relay these truths in a straightforward and educational manner. Bioethics in Faith and Practice will be a point-of-contact between grassroots Pro-Lifers and well-credentialed experts on the fields that inform the Pro-Life movement.
The journal’s approach is uniquely faith-based. Far from undermining the scientific relevance of peer-reviewed information contained therein, the journal makes a special appeal to the individuals who grapple with faith-based Pro-Life convictions and how to relay those convictions in a way that can be appreciated by people who do not share their worldview. In fact, editors posit that “[e]xcluding spiritually-informed consideration from the discussion impoverishes it, and may lead to outcomes not in the best interests of patients, their families, and our society in general.” In short: faith is not a deterrent to a consistent, scientifically-supported Pro-Life worldview. Rather, faith is in continuity with science on Life ethics.
Read the first issue of Bioethics in Faith and Practice here.