Commenting on the recent publication by John F. Kilner, ed. of Why the Church Needs Bioethics: A Guide to Wise Engagement with Life’s Challenges (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011):

The book centers around three case studies – better birth, viz. “having a baby the new-fashioned way,” better life, viz. “gaining every advantage,” and better death, viz. “a difficult death” – with an integrative response to each of the ethical questions. There are essays/responses from the Old Testament (Dick Averbeck), the New Testament (D. A. Carson), Systematic Theology (Kevin Vanhoozer), Bioethics (John Kilner), Counseling (Stephen Greggo and Miriam Stark Parent), Law (Paige Comstock Cunningham), Intercultural (Harold Netland, Bruce Fields and Elizabeth Sung), Medicine (William Cheshire), Pastoral Care (Steven Roy), Preaching (Greg Scharf). Most of the authors are from the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

This is an excellent resource I would encourage you to read and discuss with your fellow staff members and elder boards. It is important that we provide leadership and guidance to God’s people in this area and that we help them to navigate through these bioethical waters. We cannot leave this task to someone else. The church must lead the way. This resource will help you to do that well and with wisdom from above.

Information on this book was recently posted on Trinity International University’s website, where you can also watch a video clip where John Kilner addresses the book.

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