Recent Events
October 22 2011
James Rusthoven on Healthy Bioethics
Dr James Rusthoven, medical oncologist, explored different paradigms for the ethics of life, death and health.
In Anchoring Medical Ethics: A Christian Framework, Dr Rusthoven began with a critique of the dominant ethical paradigm in biomedical ethics: the four-principles approach (autonomy + justice + beneficence + non-maleficence). Without disputing the potential importance of these guides to ethical thinking, he argued that simply appealing to them is an inadequate foundation for ethical practice. The belated addition of ‘non-maleficence’ alongside the three longer-established principles epitomises the failure of this approach to understand true beneficence as taught in Scripture. We then heard about the approach developed in Dr Rusthoven’s PhD thesis, which appeals to a covenantal ethic that better respects important interactions among diverse interested parties (physician, patient, family, medical businesses, etc.). The priority of patient care and the integrity of medical practices would be respected by grounding decision-making in discourse among the parties concerned, so that principles such as justice and beneficence are kept in proper perspective viz-à-viz a patient’s rights and individuality.
Then in Contemporary Islamic Bioethics in Theory and at the Bedside, Dr Rusthoven reported on a conference in the U.S. convened by Islamic ethicists and medical practitioners to consider the ethics of healthcare, life and death for Muslims in western societies. Islamic bioethics emphasizes the best protection of life not only from cradle to grave but also before birth and after death. There are disagreements, however, as to what role various bioethical principles should play in developing a biomedical ethical framework. We were introduced to some major differences between Shiite and Sunni traditions, as well as within these traditions, regarding moral deliberation and sources of authority for patients seeking expert religious advice on particular health care decisions.
This was followed by a response from Sharif Al-Ghazal, a plastic surgeon working in Bradford. Mr Al-Ghazal’s insights into Muslim thought, combined with his medical experience, paved the way to stimulating discussion with contributions from other medical practitioners in the audience.
Take it further...
Dr Rusthoven has recommended the following books:
- William F. May, The Physician’s Covenant: Images of the Healer in Medical Ethics (The Westminster Press, 1983): Dr Rusthoven says that William May is a key influence in his PhD thesis.
- William F. May, Active Euthanasia and Health Care Reform: Testing the Medical Covenant (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996)
- Patrick McArdle, Relational Health Care: A Practical Theology of Personhood (VDM Verlag Dr. Muller, 2008): by a Roman Catholic, talking about human personhood and setting the stage for a more relational model for medicine
September 30 2011
From Outwood House to the Fleet Prison:
The story of Richard Oastler (1789–1861)
With participation from local friends, David Hanson described the remarkable life and times of Richard Oastler, the Yorkshireman who struggled against the evils of unregulated children's labour in Victorian factories. Like Wilberforce around the same time, Oastler met extraordinary resistance to his campaign that argued for justice to pervade the economic sphere for the sake of family life and education. His motivation came from a very practical Christian faith that was undaunted by a spell in the Fleet Prison for debt, as he himself fell victim to the economic powers against which he fought. His efforts were rewarded with the 1847 Factory Act which restricted children to 10 hours’ work in cotton mills, and an extension to all factories in 1867, after Oastler’s death.
Take it further...
- See Mark Roques' blog post about the event.
- The Oastler Centre for Faith in Economic Life supported the event, displaying a tapestry representing the history of Leeds’ economic life.
August 13 2011
CREATION REGAINED:
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First, under the title Slaying Goliath: unexpected moves against worldly philosophy, Harry Van Dyke traced the story of the "second reformation" in the Netherlands. He looked at the founding of the Anti-Revolutionary Party, the establishment of the Free University of Amsterdam and the challenging philosophical innovations of Herman Dooyeweerd and Dirk Vollenhoven. Another important character in the story is Abraham Kuyper, whose diverse gifts and energy helped establish not only the Free University, but also a Christian labour union and a newspaper, before Kuyper himself became prime minister of The Netherlands in 1901.
Secondly, Al Wolters gave a biblical exposition of 2 Peter 3:10–13 under the title Burn-up or meltdown? The future of the cosmos according to the apostle Peter. Examining the context and structure of the passage, Dr Wolters dispelled the notion that Peter tells of the future annihilation of God’ handiwork. Instead he argued that the creation, even taken in its broadest sense to include human culture, is to be refined and purified at the Day of the Lord. This message of hope and of urgency elicited lively discussion.
Take it further...
- You can listen to a sermon preached by Al Wolters at Leeds Reformed Baptist Church
- Al Wolters is the author of Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview. To purchase a copy (2nd edition) for £7.50 + P&P, please contact us.
- The Free University, now known as VU University, offers an English-language masters degree in Christianity and Culture.
- Following their time at WYSOCS, Harry and Al went on to a Christian philosophy conference held at the VU University on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Dutch Association for Reformational Philosophy. The programme is freely available to download. Richard Gunton from WYSOCS also attended; please contact Richard at WYSOCS if you'd like to know more.
June 10-11 2011
THE SEXES AND THE KINGDOM:
Male and Female in Christian Perspective
Mary Stewart van Leeuwen
This year's summer lectures explored a Christian view of gender identity, starting with a study of C.S. Lewis’ changing views and finishing with practical wisdom for marriage and parenting.
In A Preference For People, Mary spoke about C.S. Lewis’ journey through the great gender divide: how his views changed from seeing the genders as essences that permeate the whole creation, with the masculine alone pointing to God, towards an egalitarian view. Lewis’ best-known books were written before this change, but after his late marriage to Joy Davidman, and its tragic untimely end, writings such as Surprised by Joy, A Grief Observed and even The Discarded Image reveal how the later Lewis found no essential difference in the intellect and capacities of men and women. This story is told more fully in Mary’s book A Sword Between the Sexes? C.S. Lewis and the Gender Debates.
The second lecture, Men From Earth, Women From Earth: Gender psychology comes of age, gave us an overview of research into male–female differences in gender psychology. While traits of individuals such as height show an average difference between men and women in spite of considerable overlap between the distributions (plenty of women are taller than plenty of men), psychological differences are invariably smaller than this, and recent meta-analyses (combining the results of many studies) show that the differences in gender psychology are among the smallest of any area of research. These meta-analyses have also provided evidence for arguing that such gender differences as exist are cultural artefacts rather than biologically directed.
Finally, Courtship And Marriage For The 21st Century: Cautionary tales and case studies brought practical ideas for equalizing the roles of male and female in sexual relationships. Teaching in a Christian university, our speaker had witnessed the unfolding of male–female relationships in various ways, one former student going so far as to write about experiences of marital breakdown. On a happier note, Mary made a strong case for ‘co-parenting’: equal participation of mother and father in raising children. This drew on Mary’s book Fathers and Sons and further statistical evidence. The final topic was the psychological and social dimensions of contraception. Whereas a woman's fertility has been seen since the 20th Century rather clinically, as an ailment or affliction that she must subdue for the sake of sexual availability, natural family planning (normally associated with Roman Catholic teaching) may restore an equality and intimacy to relationships that is more faithful to life in God’s kingdom.
Take it further...
- Mary has written a number of books. A Sword Between the Sexes? is published in the U.S. but may be obtained from WYSOCS for £10 + P&P (contact us).
- Six videos of talks by Mary are available at Eastern University's media centre (search for "Leeuwen").
- Recordings of the Summer Lectures will be available in due course.
March 26 2011
THE GOSPEL'S GREEN LIGHT:
Motives for Environmental Care
This day conference explored Christian environmental activism in theory and practice. Four speakers gave stimulating talks in very different styles.
Rev. Peter Harris, the founder of A Rocha (Christians in Conservation), began the conference by recounting some episodes in the foundation and development of this organisation in Argentina and Portugal in his fist talk, A Rocha's Green Light.
Prof. Andrew Basden (University of Salford) and Prof Tim Cooper (Nottingham Trent University) each spoke about their experiences in "green activism", both academics having stood as Green Party candidates and participating in many other initiatives aimed at protecting our environment and promoting social justice. Andrew’s talk, Green Activism with Christ, presented a rationale for integrating creation care into an interconnected Green Theology. Tim Cooper’s talk, Christians in Environmental Discourse: Leaders or Followers? argued that Christians are too often absent from politics of the environment and that their lifestyles typically fail to show the distinctive ethics that could be expected in this area.
Prof. Mike Hulme's talk was provocatively entitled Should Christians Be Trying to Stop Climate Change? Claims that, "The science demands X" take so many forms, from changes in lifestyle to technological innovation, and from new politics to updated ethics, that it's clear there are important differences of worldview and it's not the science that demands anything of us in itself. This led to some thoughts on the distinctiveness of Christian views of humanity and the earth and on the kind of virtues we should bring to bear on crises and conflicts.
Finally, Peter Harris returned to speak on Gospel Fuel for Green Lights, looking at Christian environmental distinctives as manifested in the work of A Rocha projects around the world. Pictures of the transformation of the Bekaa valley in Lebanon provided a graphic illustration of what faithfulness to Christ as Creator and Lord can look like on the ground.
Take it further...
- You may be interested in Sustainability in Crisis, a conference in Cambridge on 26–28 September.
- The John Ray Initiative has an Associates scheme for the professional development of Christians concerned with environmental matters.
- Christian Ecology Link provides resources and networking for people seeking to make a difference to the condition of our planet.