Bioethics: Basic Questions and Extraordinary Developments

Abstract

In the past few years, a variety of alarming narratives, global concerns addressed locally, and new biotechnological developments have shaped contemporary bioethical discourse. This note identifies (1) five of these narratives that come from other disciplines: history, journalism, surgery, literature, and personal experience; (2) original voices, particularly from Asia and Africa, that shape the innovations emerging in today's global theological bioethics; and (3) three biotechnological developments—neurosciences, oncofertility, and synthetic biology—that call for our attention. Throughout each section, one can see that an interdisciplinary approach could sustain conversations and generate transformative practices.