Skip to main content
The Bioethics Podcast

The Bioethics Podcast

By The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity

The Bioethics Podcast is an audio resource exploring the pressing bioethical challenges of our day featuring staff, fellows, and friends of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
iHeartRadio Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Biotechnology Meets Primetime TV

The Bioethics PodcastJun 30, 2009

00:00
12:01
Barbenheimer & Bioethics Part II – The Manhattan Project and the Seduction of Technology
Mar 12, 202420:37
Barbenheimer & Bioethics Part I – On Being Human: Reflections on Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Movie
Mar 11, 202418:21
Christian Psychologist Responds to Megan Best, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”

Christian Psychologist Responds to Megan Best, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”

In this talk, Dr. Stephen Greggo, Chair of the Counseling Department and Professor of Counseling at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, part of our host institution, responds to and extends Dr. Megan Best’s presentation, which we featured on the previous episode of the bioethics podcast, on the moral status of the embryo and other ethical issues that arise at the beginning of life, which are especially relevant to the conversations happening in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent ruling.

Our 31st annual summer conference is coming up in June, and Early Bird Pricing will be in effect through the month of March. For more information and to register, visit https://www.cbhd.org/conference

Mar 08, 202425:48
Megan Best, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”

Megan Best, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”

The recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling regarding cryogenically preserved human embryos raises numerous questions about the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF), the moral status of human embryos, the cryopreservation of embryos, the status of embryos as a matter of law, and more. 

These are questions that we at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity have been addressing for 30 years now. We have a number of resources on our website that speak to these and other questions surrounding reproductive technologies like IVF and the issues that arise from them.

For this episode of the podcast, we’ve chosen a presentation by Dr. Megan Best, an Associate Fellow of CBHD, a Researcher at the Institute of Ethics & Society at the University of Notre Dame Australia, and an honorary Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney.

In the presentation, Dr. Best looks at the moral status of the embryo and other ethical issues that arise at the beginning of life, which are especially relevant to the conversations happening in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling. 

I should also add that our next episode will feature a response by a psychologist and Christian counselor on how we can extend this conversation even further into our churches, so stay tuned for that! 


Feb 27, 202457:02
Artificial Intelligence: More than Byte-Sized Issues

Artificial Intelligence: More than Byte-Sized Issues

This episode of the podcast features an article written by our Executive Director on recent developments in artificial intelligence, particularly within the realm of healthcare. What do we need to know about these rapidly developing new technologies, and how might Christians think about and respond to AI?

Show Notes:

FREE Lecture, in person OR online, "How Assisted Dying Creates New Realities: Looking back on 40 Years of Euthanasia Experience," by Theo Boer, PhD. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bioethics-lecture-how-assisted-dying-creates-new-realities-tickets-796371457467

Jan 18, 202412:20
Bonus Episode

Bonus Episode

As we close out 2023, our Executive Director wanted to take a few minutes to talk about where we’ve been this year and where we’re planning to go next year.

Show Notes:

Dec 26, 202306:53
Review and Comment on Bioethics News

Review and Comment on Bioethics News

In this episode of the podcast, we try something new and different. CBHD Executive Director Matthew Eppinette, CBHD Research Scholar Anna Vollema, and CBHD Research Analyst Heather Zeiger discuss current bioethics news items posted on bioethics.com.

Topics they discuss include artificial intelligence, CAR-T therapy, medical debt, and ways churches and individuals might care well for those in their congregations and communities who are going through a time of illness.

To keep up with all of the latest news from the arena of bioethics:

In addition, the Call for Proposals for our 2024 conference—The Future of Health: Faith, Ethics, and our MedTech World—remains open until December 18. For more information, see the Submission Guidelines on our website.

Also, help spread the word to others in your circle of influence. Perhaps someone you know has a great idea for a paper and just needs a little encouragement!

Dec 12, 202337:31
The Challenges and Opportunities of Genomic Editing: A Christian Perspective

The Challenges and Opportunities of Genomic Editing: A Christian Perspective

In this episode of the podcast—our second ever video episode—we have an address given by William Hurlbut, MD, of Stanford University on genomic editing. 

This is a topic that is much in the news – in fact, the United Kingdom has just become the first country to approve a treatment using the gene editing technique known as CRISPR

But what, exactly is genomic editing, what opportunities does it provide, what challenges come with it, and for those of the Christian faith, how do our theological beliefs help us to evaluate it? 

These are the topics of this address.

2024 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

CBHD invites healthcare and other professionals, scholars, researchers, educators, and students to submit abstracts of papers that address questions associated with our conference theme—The Future of Health: Faith, Ethics, and our MedTech World—or that engage more broadly with other foundational and emerging bioethical issues raised at the intersections of medicine, science, technology, and our common humanity. For more information, see the Submission Guidelines at https://www.cbhd.org/conference/cfp

Nov 20, 202352:38
The Most Pressing Bioethics Issues

The Most Pressing Bioethics Issues

In this edition of the podcast, our Executive Director, Matthew Eppinettte, provides an update on the work of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, framed by what he sees as the most pressing bioethics issues of the coming years.


We cannot do the work of unpacking and addressing these vital topics without your help.

Your donation today will help us continue to advance our research on these and other vital areas of life and health.

 

With your help—and only with your help—will we be able to continue to stay ahead of the curve on these and other areas in the academic arena of bioethics. 

In addition, your backing will allow us to continue to provide resources and support to physicians, pastors, and other church leaders on the front lines who face these issues in their work, their congregations, and their communities each day.


Oct 27, 202303:10
Bioethics Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Bioethics Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

This episode of the podcast features our Executive Director's Plenary Address from 30th annual summer conference. In the talk, he makes a few comments on the history of bioethics over the past 30 years before spending the bulk of the time talking about the present state of bioethics and what it might look like in the coming years.


Are you a member of CBHD? If so, thank you! If not, join today. By becoming a member of The Center of Bioethics & Human Dignity, you gain access to content from the Center that can’t be found anywhere else!

Members receive:

  • A print subscription to Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics.

  • Access to past CBHD Conference audio & video through our web portal on CBHD.org.

  • Discounts at prominent publishers such as University of Chicago Press & InterVarsity Press.

  • Discounts on prominent journals such as the American Journal of Bioethics.

  • Book discussion groups available only to CBHD members.

  • Members-only email newsletter with more in-depth content from CBHD.

  • And more!

And it’s worth noting that next week we’ll be sending out an email to all our members announcing the next book discussion title as well as a few other pieces of member-specific info.

Membership is $75/per year (or for students it’s $40/year or only $5/month).

Join today at https://www.cbhd.org/sign-up

Sep 13, 202351:42
The Meaning of Children: Competing Narratives

The Meaning of Children: Competing Narratives

Welcome to our first video podcast! This episode features Dr. Gilbert Meilaender’s presentation of the 2023 John F. Kilner Bioethics Lectureship from March of this year.

The lecture is entitled "The Meaning of Children: Competing Narratives," and it encourages us to consider whether it is best to view children as gifts to be received or projects to be undertaken, and what each view indicates regarding our own humanity.

Also, please save the date June 27–29, 2024, for our 31st annual conference, "The Future of Health: Faith, Ethics, and our MedTech World."

Jul 18, 202353:60
Edmund Pellegrino (2002): “The Needs of the Patient vs. the Needs of Others”
May 25, 202357:14
Allen Verhey (1994), “Luther's 'Freedom of the Christian' and Patient Autonomy”

Allen Verhey (1994), “Luther's 'Freedom of the Christian' and Patient Autonomy”

As we prepare for our 30th annual conference – The Christian Stake in Bioethics Revisited, June 22-24, available in person and online – this podcast episode features another of the plenary addresses from the very first conference, The Christian Stake in Bioethics, in 1994.

Our speaker in this episode is the late Dr. Allen Verhey, and in this address, he takes a careful look at the concept of autonomy and compares it to Martin Luther’s Freedom of the Christian.

Dr. Allen Verhey was published widely and was the author, editor, or co-editor of 12 books. He is perhaps best known for Reading the Bible in the Strange World of Medicine, and his final book was The Christian Art of Dying. Dr. Verhey died at age 68 in February 2014, after a long struggle with Amyloidosis.

Apr 25, 202340:31
An Update on The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity
Apr 03, 202303:38
“From Science Fiction to Reality: The Bioethics of Emerging Technologies”

“From Science Fiction to Reality: The Bioethics of Emerging Technologies”

In this episode of the podcast, we have a recent lecture by Michael J. Sleasman, PhD, Associate Professor of Bioethics and Director of Bioethics Degree Programs at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Trinity International University.


His lecture is entitled “From Science Fiction to Reality: The Bioethics of Emerging Technologies”

Mar 22, 202356:20
“The Moral Health of Medicine” by Dr. Nigel M. de S. Cameron

“The Moral Health of Medicine” by Dr. Nigel M. de S. Cameron

As we look forward to our 30th annual conference – The Christian Stake in Bioethics Revisited, June 22-24 – this episode of the podcast looks back to the very first address from the very first conference, way back in May of 1994. In this address, Dr. Cameron identifies a profound cultural shift in public life, in institutions, and in professions that has seen each of these areas move away from Judeo-Christian underpinnings. Cameron focuses on medicine and what he identifies, from the Hippocratic Oath, as the three covenants involved in the profession of medicine, one of which in his view has been abandoned. He concludes with two suggestions on what might be done to respond to these changes.

CBHD Members Reading Group: Read Frankenstein with the CBHD Staff

The novel wrestles with themes of creation and destruction, alienation and loneliness, birth and life, the toxicity of revenge, and the quest to conquer the unknown at the cost of one’s own humanity. 

Literature professor Karen Swallow Prior has created an edition of this classic that illuminates Shelley’s intended themes and messages, including an extensive introduction to the original author and context of the novel. Through her footnotes and discussion questions, Prior’s commentary also helps the reader understand how to read Frankenstein in light of the gospel.

We will meet via Zoom during the week of April 10 for the book discussion. Exact date and time TBD.

To Participate, become a CBHD Member: https://www.cbhd.org/sign-up

30th Annual Conference

Registration for our 30th annual conference, The Christian Stake in Bioethics Revisited is open and early bird rates are still in effect. For more information and to register, visit https://www.cbhd.org/conf2023 

Feb 24, 202335:48
February 3, 2023

February 3, 2023

Feb 03, 202300:56
Two Big Announcements from CBHD

Two Big Announcements from CBHD

First, CBHD Membership is now open -- become a member today!

For information on the benefits of membership and to join, visit https://www.cbhd.org/sign-up


Second, Conference Registration is now open -- and early bird pricing is in effect!

The theme for this, our 30th annual conference, is The Christian Stake in Bioethics Revisited: Crucial Issues of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. It will take place June 22-24 on the campus of Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois.

For more information and to register, visit https://www.cbhd.org/conf2023 

Feb 01, 202304:42
Intersections: Embodied Souls and Ensouled Bodies

Intersections: Embodied Souls and Ensouled Bodies

Our first podcast episode of 2023 features the latest article from our Intersections forum, which is now hosted on our all-new website at cbhd.org. The article is entitled "Embodied Souls and Ensouled Bodies," and it was written by our own Bryan Just, MA. Bryan also serves as our reader for this episode. 

If you had a chance yet, please do stop by and check out the all-new cbhd.org. It has a clean, easy-to-navigate design and works equally well on desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones.

Jan 25, 202312:05
2022 Recap, 2023 Preview

2022 Recap, 2023 Preview

In this episode of the podcast, CBHD Executive Director Matthew Eppinette provides an end-of-year update and a preview of things to come in 2023.

The challenges to life and health have only increased in significance. Genuinely Christian engagement is needed as much now as it has ever been. Please give as generously as you are able today! And please, please keep us in your prayers. Thank you in advance for your support.

We are incredibly grateful for the work that has been given to us to do and for the provision of God through the people of God that enables us to do it. Thank you for investing in CBHD's mission and work!

For more information about The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, and to support the work of the Center—and projects like this podcast—please visit our website, cbhd.org 

-------

Music: Carol Of The Bells by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Dec 28, 202210:41
"Why Intersections?" Revisited

"Why Intersections?" Revisited

This episode of The Bioethics Podcast marks the launch of an all new cbhd.org website. The new website has a new look and feel and is mobile-friendly! In addition, we are moving our Intersections Forum (and the other content from Everyday Bioethics) to cbhd.org. 

To mark this occasion, we’ve reposted one of the first Intersections entries, entitled “Why Intersections?,” this time titling it “‘Why Intersections?’ Revisited,” and adding an editor’s note of introduction.

The latest Intersections entry is available on the home page, and the complete archives are available by clicking on Intersections under the heading Everyday Bioethics at the top of the page.

In addition, this episode features a big announcement regarding the CBHD staff and a reminder that our Call for Paper and Poster Proposals is open until December 19.

Dec 12, 202210:50
New Book from CBHD -- Listen to the Editors' Introduction
Oct 27, 202217:30
A Letter From A Current Bioethics Student | Stephen Largent & The Work Of CBHD

A Letter From A Current Bioethics Student | Stephen Largent & The Work Of CBHD

At the start of this semester, one of our MA in Bioethics students, Stephen Largent, wrote a letter describing his appreciation for CBHD's work, and urging those who can to financially support the work of the center.

Here is the letter in it's entirety:

"Dear Friend of CBHD,

The work of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity is a great help to me as a student, and I know it will continue to help me long after I finish my college years here at Trinity International University.

My name is Stephen Largent, and I’m a fourth-year student in the bachelors + MA Bioethics program at Trinity. I am in the biology, pre-med emphasis undergrad, and I plan on going on to medical school after I graduate.

When I came to Trinity, I honestly had no idea what bioethics was. During my first semester, however, I registered for an undergraduate bioethics course and quickly knew I wanted to study bioethics further. I saw that the field encompassed a number of topics I’d been interested in since high school, like gene editing, transhumanism, abortion, and more.

As my interest grew, I realized that I needed to ensure that the information I was receiving was biblically informed. The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity is the absolute best source of truthful, well-researched information on bioethics, deftly intertwining ethical evaluation and theological orthodoxy.

CBHD engages the academic arena of bioethics and does a phenomenal job providing resources and continuing education for church leaders, doctors and lawyers, and those who understand the importance of knowing more about bioethics.

Being able to attend CBHD’s annual conference, read Dignitas articles, explore the CBHD websites, and know I received an ethical and biblical lesson is crucial to my learning and growth.

I find CBHD’s work to be invaluable to my aspirations to become a physician. I am learning bioethics from a Christian worldview as well as how to approach bioethical topics with those who do not share the same worldview.

Bioethical issues are among the most important of my generation, yet there are still many who, like me only a couple of years ago, don’t even know the term “bioethics.” Accurate knowledge of these topics is of utmost importance. The CBHD mission to provide reliable bioethics information from a Judeo-Christian perspective takes the work of many who, by God’s grace, have the desire to help engage in these hard conversations.

In short, The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity cannot do its important work without your generosity. For the benefit of future doctors, nurses, and others in the medical field, please support the work of CBHD.

Sincerely,

Stephen

PS: CBHD’s work has been a blessing to my fellow students and me, and I will turn to their resources for years to come as I move to med school and my career. Please support their work today!"


Please consider supporting the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity at https://cbhd.org/give-online

Thank you!

Oct 06, 202205:27
Heather Zeiger - Fetal Tissue Research & Christian Bioethics

Heather Zeiger - Fetal Tissue Research & Christian Bioethics

In this episode of the podcast, CBHD Executive Director Matthew Eppinette interviews Heather Zeiger, CBHD Research Analyst as well as editor and project manager of our recently released report on “Fetal Tissue Research and Christian Bioethics.”

This report has been several years in the making, and arrives at a particularly important time – fetal tissue research has been much in the news during the development of the COVID vaccines, and the recent Dobbs decision by the U.S. Supreme Court may very well have implications for this research.

Matthew and Heather discuss these topics and much more in this episode.

To find out more about CBHD and to support our work, please visit https://cbhd.org

To view the Fetal Tissue Research & Christian Bioethics report, visit https://cbhd.org/content/fetal-tissue-research-and-christian-bioethics-review-scientific-developments-policy

Please follow & share this podcast to get the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity's message and vision to all who need to hear it!

Thank you!

Sep 01, 202235:50
Rev. W.F. “Bo” Collins, III | Senior Pastor of Lakeview Presbyterian Church in Vernon Hills, IL

Rev. W.F. “Bo” Collins, III | Senior Pastor of Lakeview Presbyterian Church in Vernon Hills, IL

CBHD Executive Director, Matthew Eppinette, interviews his senior pastor, Bo Collins regarding his recent attendance at CBHD's summer conference Pastors Workshop in Deerfield Illinois at the end of June.  Bo gives insight and feedback into the topics covered within the workshop, and even turns the tables on Matthew; the interviewer becomes the interviewee!

Bo is from Birmingham, AL. He holds degrees from the University of Alabama in Birmingham (BA, English) and Covenant Theological Seminary (MDiv). He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in while serving on the pastoral staff of Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Memphis, TN.

Bo and his wife, Katie, have three sons, Fraser, Elliot, & Bruce.  He loves bike racing, blues guitar, explaining the Bible, and growing in his ability to serve the LORD’s people and the church. Rev. Collins has served as the pastor of Lakeview Presbyterian Church since 2018.

Aug 02, 202233:14
Dr. Jeff Barrows - Conscience on the Front Lines (2022 Annual Conference Plenary)

Dr. Jeff Barrows - Conscience on the Front Lines (2022 Annual Conference Plenary)

This episode features Dr. Jeff Barrows (Senior Vice President of Bioethics and Public Policy for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations) and will provide stories of conscience involving healthcare professionals seeking to practice medicine according to Biblical and Hippocratic principles, but have been confronted with scenarios in which they were faced with a choice of either violating their conscience or the possibility of losing employment. Dr. Barrows will also briefly discuss the framework in which practicing healthcare professionals can evaluate the validity of their conscience concerns.

Jul 07, 202237:03
Dr. Brent Waters - An Introduction to Reproductive Technologies

Dr. Brent Waters - An Introduction to Reproductive Technologies

Join us as we hear Bryan Just read an Introduction to Reproductive Technologies by Dr. Brent Waters who is part of the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity as a Senior Fellow. This comes to us at the perfect time as our Pastors Conference, in conjunction with our CBHD Annual Conference, focuses on Reproductive Technologies.  If you or someone you know is a pastor or church leader, please pass along the FREE pastors workshop website at https://pastorsconference.cbhd.org.

Jun 15, 202212:49
CBHD Staff Roundtable Discussion

CBHD Staff Roundtable Discussion

Join the CBHD staff as we discuss the general topic of bioethics, meet team members you may not know yet, and discuss what the near future holds for the center!

May 27, 202251:13
A Tribute to Robert D. Orr

A Tribute to Robert D. Orr

Although our plan was to start our season earlier this year, we're now starting season 22 with a tribute to Robert D. Orr.  His legacy in medical ethics will be remembered in many ways, and we count ourselves here at CBHD lucky that we are one of those many ways through the Robert D. Orr Endowed Fellowship. This tribute was originally published in our Spring/Summer 2021 Issue of Dignitas, authored by John Kilner, and read by Bryan Just.

May 17, 202208:26
An Interview with Robert D. Orr Fellow, Anna Vollema

An Interview with Robert D. Orr Fellow, Anna Vollema

Anna Vollema works at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity where she serves as the Research Analyst and Robert D. Orr Fellow. She holds a double MA in Old and New Testament from Talbot School of Theology in southern California. She continues her education at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, seeking to better her knowledge of the character of God through obtaining a PhD in Old Testament. She previously taught Elementary Greek for the school, and the excellence of her students only deepened the desire to continue teaching. Also holding a degree in Psychology, research in the area of Bioethics offers her the chance to further explore the nature of human flourishing, asking complex questions regarding not only what humankind is capable of, but also what they should pursue in light of the nature of God and that of his creation. Anna's family is spread out across the United States, including several churches, whose people comprise an extension of her family.

Dec 21, 202156:46
Kristina Twitty: Bioethicist, Advocate, Speaker, Entrepreneur, and More

Kristina Twitty: Bioethicist, Advocate, Speaker, Entrepreneur, and More

This episode of the podcast features an interview with Kristina Twitty, a graduate of the MA Bioethics program here at our host institution, Trinity International University. In this interview, we’ll get to know Kristina and hear about how she came to be interested in the issues of bioethics. And she’ll tell us about a new venture she’s started to assist people in thinking through the personal implications of various decisions regarding life and health, particularly choices around reproductive technologies as well as decisions that come to the fore nearer to the end of life.

Dec 02, 202132:36
Christian Faithfulness and Transhumanism
Nov 18, 202126:35
Disposition of the Heart

Disposition of the Heart

In this episode of the podcast, Anna Vollema, CBHD's Robert D. Orr Endowed Fellow, reads "Disposition of the Heart," written by Jessica Garske, MDiv. This article was originally published on Intersections and is the first in a three-part series on disability. Jessica holds an MDiv with a concentration in Missions and Intercultural Studies from Talbot School of Theology. Her master's thesis offers church leaders a model of disability conceptualized from the Christian worldview which seeks to help inform church praxis when handling matters of disability in the congregational setting.

Nov 05, 202111:45
An Interview with Wilson Jeremiah

An Interview with Wilson Jeremiah

In this episode the Executive Director of CBHD, Matthew Eppinette, PhD, interviews CBHD's former Robert D. Orr Fellow, Wilson Jeremiah, MA.

Oct 22, 202123:19
Human Flourishing: In Sickness and In Health

Human Flourishing: In Sickness and In Health

The following lecture by Allen Verhey, MD, was originally presented at our 20th annual conference in 2013. All sessions from this conference are available to CBHD members here: cbhd.org/resources/audio/2013-health-human-flourishing-conference

Interested in becoming a CBHD member? Learn more here: cbhd.org/subscribe

Oct 08, 202158:45
Conference Update: It's Not Too Late!
Jun 28, 202101:36
Breathtaking Decisions: Ethics at the End of Life

Breathtaking Decisions: Ethics at the End of Life

The following lecture by Robert D. Orr, MD, was originally presented at Cutting Edge Bioethics: Human Life on the Line in 2005. All sessions from this conference are available to CBHD members here: cbhd.org/premium-content/2005-cutting-edge-bioethics-dallas-tx-archive

Interested in becoming a CBHD member? Learn more here: cbhd.org/subscribe

Jun 03, 202101:06:50
Biblical and Theological 'Givens' for Responsible Christian Thinking About Death by D.A. Carson

Biblical and Theological 'Givens' for Responsible Christian Thinking About Death by D.A. Carson

The following lecture by D. A. Carson, PhD was originally presented at CBHD's 26th Annual Conference Taking Care: Perspectives for the End of Life. All conference sessions are available for purchase here: https://cbhd.org/content/2019-taking-care-perspectives-end-life-conference-audio

Jun 03, 202148:32
The Importance of Theological Grounding

The Importance of Theological Grounding

In this episode of the podcast, Bryan Just, CBHD's Event & Executive Services Manager, addresses a crucial and much-needed skill to manage today's MedTech world. Bryan's article comes to us from our Intersections forum which is located on our website, Everydaybioethics.com.


Apr 27, 202109:08
A Note from CBHD's Executive Director

A Note from CBHD's Executive Director

Help CBHD finish its fiscal year by donating a financial gift at cbhd.org/give-online

Apr 14, 202104:14
When Hippocrates Met Kurzweil: Questions for Human Dignity in the 21st Century

When Hippocrates Met Kurzweil: Questions for Human Dignity in the 21st Century

The following lecture by Nigel M. de S. Cameron, PhD, MBA was originally presented at 2015 Summer conference "Science, Research, and the Limits of Bioethics."


The enduring legacy of Hippocrates lies in his establishment of medicine as both a scientific and a human enterprise, the foundation not merely for medical practice but the core cultural notion of a profession—an effort founded on both skill and values, with accountability for both baked into the community of those thus committed. The development of “bioethics” in the mid-20th century marked the fraying of both the substantive commitments of the tradition and the professional idea itself—bioethics both as a multi-disciplinary effort to manage growing disagreement, in some cases by re-affirming the substance of the tradition, more generally to assert the “human” character of the enterprise whatever particular values might be brought to it. The attempt of bioethics to bridge into public policy has proved generally ineffective and, despite modest successes, in part counter-productive. As emerging technologies supplant traditional questions at the science/tech/human interface it is plain that we need new models of understanding if we are concerned to affirm the centrality of human dignity, not simply for the 21st century but for, say, the 31st. The exponential character of technological change has only begun to re-shape the conditions for human experience.

Mar 30, 202139:09
Are Adenovirus Vaccines (Such as Johnson & Johnson’s) Ethical and Safe

Are Adenovirus Vaccines (Such as Johnson & Johnson’s) Ethical and Safe

This episode is an update of our recent article "Corona Virus Vaccine Ethics."

Mar 18, 202108:47
Prenatal Diagnosis: An Overview of Testing Methods, Their Accuracy, Availability, and Use

Prenatal Diagnosis: An Overview of Testing Methods, Their Accuracy, Availability, and Use

David Prentice, PhD, of the Family Research Council, on "Prenatal Diagnosis: An Overview of Testing Methods, Their Accuracy, Availability, and Use" at  the "Managing an Unexpected Prenatal Diagnosis: Critical Considerations for Counselors, Clinicians, and Friends" Conference (July 18, 2013) held at Trinity International University. Co-sponsored by Jerome Lejeune Foundation, USA; The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity; Family Research Council; and Med Students for Life


Mar 04, 202137:58
Bioethics and the Body | A Conference Announcement

Bioethics and the Body | A Conference Announcement

Learn more about our upcoming summer conference at cbhd.org/conf2021

Feb 22, 202101:58
Coronavirus Vaccine Ethics

Coronavirus Vaccine Ethics

This episode of The Bioethics Podcast will cover the five following ethical considerations in regards to the current Covid-19 vaccines:

-Whether fast-tracked vaccines that short-cut Phase 3 trials, as in the case of two vaccines out of Russia and three out of China, are safe. 

-Whether Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. FDA of any of the vaccine candidates is valid.

-Whether challenge trials are ethical, as in the case of the Imperial College of London trial in the UK.

-Whether there is a fair way to distribute limited doses of the vaccine, and who should receive a vaccine first.

-Whether the first vaccine approved by the FDA is the best vaccine and whether vulnerable populations should get the first vaccine or the “best” vaccine.

-Whether people are morally obligated to get a COVID-19 vaccine, especially those who have already had the virus or are low-risk populations.

-Whether there is a reason for conscientious objections to certain vaccines based on their development using fetal cell lines.

-Whether a vaccine is necessary.

-Whether mRNA vaccines, such as Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines, are safe.

Feb 17, 202145:46
Moral Injury in the Time of COVID

Moral Injury in the Time of COVID

This podcast episode features a session from our 2020 conference, Bioethics in Real Life: Lessons We're Learning from Covid-19. In it, Joseph Wiinikka-Lydon addresses moral injury in the time of Covid-19.

Feb 03, 202101:08:20
Advent Hope for a MedTech World

Advent Hope for a MedTech World

Amidst the bustle of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday, and holiday parties, we may forget it is also the season of Advent. In this strange cultural juxtaposition of commercialism gone awry and theologically rich celebrations of historic Christian significance, several thoughts come to mind as we prepare for our holiday celebrations.

Dec 21, 202009:11
The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity | Year End Update

The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity | Year End Update

Executive Director of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity addresses podcast listeners with Center news.

Dec 09, 202006:28
Why Humanness is the Key to Bioethics

Why Humanness is the Key to Bioethics

The following podcast was originally recorded at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity 25th annual conference, Bioethics & Being Human. In this opening session of the conference, Dennis P. Hollinger, PhD delivers a presentation: "Framing the Discussion: Why Humanness is the Key to Bioethics."

Nov 30, 202032:11
Who Will Be the Last Human? Or Are We Even Still Human?

Who Will Be the Last Human? Or Are We Even Still Human?

Nov 11, 202009:14