Why People Matter: A Christian Engagement with Rival Views of Human Significance

by John F. Kilner (Editor), Russell DiSilvestro (Contribution by), David Gushee (Contribution by), Amy Hall (Contribution by), Gilbert Meilaender (Contribution by)

Overview

Amid current arguments related to human life and dignity, Christians must be clear about how their faith speaks to such concerns and what other outlooks have to say. This book brings together noted ethicists—Russell DiSilvestro, David P. Gushee, Amy Laura Hall, John F. Kilner, Gilbert C. Meilaender, Scott B. Rae, and Patrick T. Smith—to make a Christian case for human dignity. It offers a robust critique of five influential alternative positions, including the emerging outlook of transhumanism, showing how a Christian view supports the crucial idea that people matter in a way other views cannot.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801049408
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/03/2017
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

John F. Kilner (PhD, Harvard University) is the Franklin and Dorothy Forman Chair of Christian Ethics and Theology, professor of bioethics and contemporary culture, and director of bioethics programs at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. He is a senior fellow for The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, has authored or edited over twenty books, and has appeared on major media outlets such as NBC, FOX News, CBS, CNN, NPR, and the New York Times.

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction
1. Why This Book Matters
The Need for Common Ground in Debates Today
John F. Kilner
Part 1: Grounding Significance in Humanity
2. Persons Are Not Interchangeable
Utilitarianism and Human Significance
Gilbert C. Meilaender
3. His Eye Is on the Sparrow
Collectivism and Human Significance
Amy Laura Hall
4. My Life Is Not My Own
Individualism and Human Significance
Russell DiSilvestro
Part 2: Grounding Significance in Science
5. More Than Meets the Eye
Naturalism and Human Significance
Scott B. Rae
6. The Privilege of Being Human
Transhumanism and Human Significance
Patrick T. Smith
Part 3: Grounding Significance in God
7. Special Connection and Intended Reflection
Creation in God's Image and Human Significance
John F. Kilner
8. Nothing Human Is Merely Human
Various Biblical Bases for Human Significance
David P. Gushee
Conclusion
9. Why a Christian Outlook Matters
Comparing Grounds for Human Significance
John F. Kilner
Indexes