Embryonic Stem Cell Research - Re-explored Considering Scientific, Philosophical & Theological Understanding of Human Life

The book is a study on the recent developments in the field of embryonic stem cell research, that is, the generation and manipulation/exploitation of human embryos for the research and therapeutic purposes and analyzes the issue in the light of the Orthodox theological understanding of human life. The objective of this study is to investigate the ethical problems of embryonic stem cell research from an Orthodox point of view. The book provides not a one side of the flow of argumentation, but shows, how important this issue is and how it can be possibly addressed from the Orthodox perspective.

Fr. Dr. Shaji P. John is a priest of Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church. He has earned his PhD in Psychology from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam and PhD in Theology from Dharmaram Vidyakshetram, Bangalore. Currently he is serving as a faculty member of St. Thomas Orthodox Theological Seminary, Nagpur. He teaches different subjects on Pastoral Care, Counselling and Practical Theology. He is also a visiting professor of Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture (FFRRC), Kottayam, Kerala.

1. Basic Understanding of the Research Work

The past decade has seen rapid development in Medical Science. Scientific progress has been made and medical research is done by using human embryos. Experiments conducted on human embryos have a serious effect on the moral life of the society and strikes at the core of the human being. The vulnerable human embryos are at stake. According to a group of scientists the life of the embryo can be risked because they are only a lump of cells. But on the other hand, many philosophers and theologians have raised their voices against them and they consider the embryo as a human, and therefore, argue that they cannot be endangered for the benefit of the others.

The present research proposes an understanding of the recent developments in embryonic stem cell research, that is, the generation and manipulation/ exploitation of human embryos for the research and therapeutic purposes and analyzes the issue in the light of the Orthodox theological understanding of human life.

2. Relevance and Importance

The era in which we live now, is an era of advanced technologies and research. The development of new technologies and biological research has been growing so rapidly. Pretty soon humans may be able to cure or prevent many crucial incurable diseases affecting the population of the world. However, how far can technology go? An opinion in this regard will be influenced by individual perspective of the subject, for instance, some scientists in the field of biology will be in favour of doing as much as possible to find new breakthrough ways in biotechnology and research. In the same way, legal experts will be influenced by the legal norms and legal ways of reasoning or a person belonging to a religious group, will approach the issue based on the principles of the religion he/she believes in.

The rapid development in the field of bio-technology raises new challenges in the field of Christian ethics. One of such challenges is the embryonic stem cell research. This means that stem cell research raises the question whether there are any ethical limits concerning the destruction of human embryos for research or therapeutic purposes, as well as the more fundamental question of the moral status of the human embryo. In some cases, the ethical issue can be addressed through long-standing doctrinal, ethical and canonical traditions of the church. However, in the case of embryonic stem cell research there is little or no debate in the Indian Orthodox Church so far. So it is necessary to analyse the issue from an Orthodox perspective. This prompted the author to undertake this research.