The Human Person: A Bioethical Word

by Francis Etheredge

Is bioethics a technical specialization or a profound expression of human being? Wonderfully answering this question, the book is beautifully enriched by eight Forewords. Beginning again and again, Etheredge searches old and new sources that help us to understand who we are: both personally and objectively – gazing into the mysterious depths of human personhood. Why are we “from” relationship, “in” relationship and “for” relationship? He then goes on to explore the specific difficulties that make it urgent that we formally recognize that the gift of human being founds our equal dignity before God and each other.

The foreword to the book is written by Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis. Seven other contributors provide valuable introductions to individual chapters: Joseph Meaney, Adriana Vasquez, Anthony Williams, Elizabeth Rex, Kathleen Sweeney, Richard Conrad, OP, and Ralph Weimann.

Paperback $25 | Kindle $9.99

Contents

General Foreword: Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis

General Introduction (I), a Comment on the Structure of the Work as a Whole (II) and a Particular Introduction to Each Chapter (III)

Foreword to Chapter One: Dr. Joseph Meaney

Chapter One…………………………………………………………………………….
A Vocation: A mixed Experiential, Scriptural and Theological Account of Being Open to the Gift of Human Life

Foreword to Chapter Two and Biography: Mrs Adriana Vasquez

Chapter Two……………………………………………………………………………..
Marriage is a Liturgical Act: A mixed Experiential, Scriptural and Catechetical Account of Marriage and Family Life

Foreword to Chapter Three: Dr. Anthony Williams

Chapter Three………………………………………………………………………….
Become the Philosopher You Are: An Introduction to Philosophy with Particular Reference to the Human Person

Foreword to Chapter Four: Dr Elizabeth Bothamley Rex

Chapter Four……………………………………………………………………………..
An Introduction to Genesis I-II: The Creation-Gift of Participation in the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity

Foreword to Chapter Five and Biography: Kathleen Sweeney

Chapter Five…………………………………………………………………
Part I: Philosophy is about Real Questions: Why the Pain if there is No One There from Conception? A Discussion involving Philosophical and Scriptural Terms Concerning the Conception of the Human Person; Part II: The Problem of the “Biologic” definition of Human Life; Part III: The Human Person is a Bioethical Word; Part IV: The Human Person: Being and Activity; and Part V: An Account of Human Masculinity

Foreword to Chapter Six and Biography: Rev. Dr. Richard Conrad OP, Director of the Aquinas Institute, Oxford

Chapter Six……………………………………………………………………
A Three Part Exploration of the Human Being as a Psychologically Inscribed Biology: Part I: An Indivisibly Psychosomatic Being from Conception; Part II: A Pilgrimage from Reality to Self-Knowledge and the Challenge of the “Inexpressibility” of the Human Person; Part III: Embodied Relationality and the Integral Nature of a Psychologically Inscribed Biology

Foreword to Chapter Seven: the Rev. Dr. Ralph Weimann

Chapter Seven…………………………………………………………………….
Part I: The Illumination of the Beginning of Personhood (I); Part II: “Who?” Is in the Laboratory: We Are in the Laboratory (II); Part III: The Need for a Universal Ethic and a World-Wide Authority; Part IV: Frozen and Untouchable – A Double Injustice to the Human Embryo; Part V: On the Development of the Catholic Church’s Prudential Judgments on Human Conception and an Ethical Response to the Plight of Frozen Embryos

Epilogue

NEWS

The Catholic Medical Quarterly has also published the article, “The Human Person is a Bioethical Word,” which developed into the book!

Joseph Meaney, Ph.D., one of the contributors to this book, has been named President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center. See here for the full story.

INTERVIEWS

WCAT Radio Interview with Cynthia Toolin-Wilson on “Author to Author” (April 20, 2020)
Listen to “Episode 29: Cynthia Toolin-Wilson interviews Francis Etheredge, author of The Human Person: A Bioethical Word (April 20, 2020)” on Spreaker.

WCAT Interview with Bob Olson on “I Thought You’d Like To Know This” – June 5, 2017
Listen to “Francis Etheredge speaks on his new book by En Route Books and Media entitled The Human Person: A Bioethical Word” on Spreaker. Two Wings Seminar hosted on Friday, December 8, 2017, by Dr. Elizabeth Rex with Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP. Listen to “Dr. Elizabeth Rex – An Introduction to Genesis I-II: The Creation-Gift of Participation in the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity.” on Spreaker.

“I Thought You’d Like to Know” WCAT interview by Dr. Elizabeth Rex of Marlene and Hannah Strege. For more on Hannah’s story as the first snowflake adoption, see the program page here. January 15, 2018.

Listen to “Dr. Elizabeth Rex interviews Marlene Strege and Hannah Strege (snowflake baby # 1)” on Spreaker. “I Thought You’d Like to Know This, Too” WCAT interview by Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis of Nick Loeb. For more on this story, see the links on the page at http://www.wcatradio.com/liketoknowtoo.html. Listen to “Nick Loeb, producer of Roe v. Wade, shares the story of his upcoming film with Mary Anne Urlakis” on Spreaker.

Nary, Gordon. “Profiles in Catholicism.” (November, 2017) https://www.catholicprofiles.org/blog-1/an-interview-with-francis-etheredge

AUTHOR ARTICLES

“Conception: A Contradiction?” by Francis Etheredge, Homiletics and Pastoral Review (December 11, 2020), available here.

REVIEWS

 
Rev. Michael Baggot, LC (Autumn 2020), review in National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly.  Baggot_The Human Person (proofs)
 
Dr. Yoon Shin (April 2020), review in Homiletic and Pastoral Review
 
Dr. Eileen Quinn Knight (November 19, 2018), review in Profiles in Catholicism.
 

Dr. Pravin Thevathasan (February 27, 2018), review accepted for publication in November 2018 by the Catholic Medical Quarterly. Available on Reviewer’s Website and in CMQ (page 24).

Judith Babarsky (August 3, 2017), review on Amazon.com.

RELATED STORY

A Related Story:

TESTIMONIALS

Book Announcement by the Institute for Theological Encounter with Science and Technology

A strikingly original set of essays in Catholic bioethics that emerge from a contemplative reflection upon what it means to say that the human person is a “created Word.” – Rev. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, O.P., Ph.D., S.T.D., Professor of Biology and of Theology, Providence College

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Francis Etheredge is married with eleven children, three of whom are in heaven. Marriage and family life are a work of graced nature: a single reality which has a history and is a vocation. Through sharing his life, Francis hopes that others will discover the God who comes to help.

Francis is the author of  The Human Person: A Bioethical Word (En Route Books & Media, 2017), with forewords from eight writers; The Family on Pilgrimage: God Leads Through Dead Ends (2018); and Conception: An Icon of the Beginning, with contributions from ten other authors, as well as The Prayerful Kiss (2019); Mary and Bioethics: An Exploration (2020); Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Prose and Poetry (2020), Within Reach of You: A Book of Prose and Prayers (2021), Unfolding a Post-Roe World (2022), Reaching for the Resurrection: A Pastoral Bioethics (2022), Human Nature: Moral NormLord, Do You Mean Me? A Father-Catechist! (2023), A Word in your Heart: Youth, Mental Health, and the Word of God (2023), and An Unlikely Gardener: Prose and Poems

See Francis’ other books, too, entitled Scripture: A Unique WordFrom Truth and truth: Volume I-Faithful ReasonFrom Truth and truth: Volume II: Faith and Reason in DialogueFrom Truth and truth: Volume III: Faith is Married Reason.

Francis is currently a freelance writer and speaker and his “Posts” on LinkedIn can be viewed here. Poetry; short articles; autobiographical blog; excerpts from books; and “Philosophize: A Ten Minute Write.”

He has earned a BA Div (Hons), MA in Catholic Theology, PGC in Biblical Studies, PGC in Higher Education, and an MA in Marriage and Family (Distinction).

Enjoy these additional articles by Francis Etheredge:

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