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Book Cover for: The CRISPR Revolution in Science, Religion, and Ethics, Arvin M. Gouw

The CRISPR Revolution in Science, Religion, and Ethics

Arvin M. Gouw

This collection of original essays by scientists, theologians, religious studies scholars, and ethicists offers an authoritative, illuminating, and thought-provoking overview of the CRISPR controversy.

Genetic science at times ignites explosions of public controversy. In the early 1990s, the Human Genome Project, along with Jurassic Park, frightened the world with genetic determinism. The cloning controversy of 1997 and the stem cell controversy of 1998 prompted bitter moral stand-offs. The fuse has just been lit for the next explosion: the CRISPR controversy. The CRISPR Revolution in Science, Religion, and Ethics channels the energy of that explosion into constructive reflection on the implications of this revolutionary science for religion, ethics, and public policy.

Chapters accessibly explain the science behind gene editing and draw out its implications for social impact. This volume reviews the history of genomics from 1990 to date, with special attention to cloning and stem cell research. Contributors address the significance of gene technology for understanding human nature within specific religious traditions. Most importantly, they analyze selected ethical issues: therapy versus enhancement, germ line modification, designer children, patenting, and the long-term effects of gene drive proposals.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
  • Publish Date: Jan 23rd, 2025
  • Pages: 200
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.21in - 6.14in - 0.50in - 1.00lb
  • EAN: 9781440871788
  • Categories: Life Sciences - Genetics & GenomicsBiomedicalReligion & Science

About the Author

Gouw, Arvin M.: - Arvin M. Gouw, PhD, works in the field of theology and science at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, UK. He cofounded a biotech company, Bacchus Therapeutics, developing cancer-targeted therapies based on his research at Stanford University.
Peters, Ted: - Ted Peters, PhD, is a futurist and scholar who focuses on the interaction between theology and science. He co-edits the journal Theology and Science for the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, USA. He serves as a consultant to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which funds stem cell research, including CRISPR research.

Praise for this book

"Every now and then, something happens in science that leaves us awe-struck. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing is one of those revolutions. Arvin M. Gouw and Ted Peters have done theologians and communities of faith a great service with these responses to this remarkable technology and the moral, medical, and spiritual challenges it poses." --Andrew Davison, Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford, UK

"An excellent introduction to the issues surrounding CRISPR/Cas 9 technologies from religious perspectives. The volume includes a diverse set of perspectives from many of the top voices in the field. Importantly, it includes underrepresented voices and topics in religious critiques, such as Hinduism, space exploration, and biopolitics. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in how DNA editing technology will change our lives and the world." --Bethany Sollereder, Lecturer in Science and Religion, University of Edinburgh, UK

"This timely collection draws out many much-needed connections between the cultural domains of science, religion and ethics, in order for societies to responsibly deal with and critically reflect on the uncertain risks and opportunities involved with the CRISPR revolution." --Arthur C. Petersen, Professor of Science, Technology and Public Policy, University College London, UK, and editor of Zygon

"In the middle of a biological revolution, Arvin Gouw and Ted Peters have assembled a collection of scholarly forecasts of a new future only now taking shape. This volume is scientifically informative, ethically constructive, and religiously affirmative." --Robert John Russell, Founder, Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, USA

"In this landmark volume, Gouw and Peters present the perspectives of many of today's most brilliant thinkers on the relationship between CRISPR technology, religion, and ethics. For anyone considering the ethical and social implications of this technology, this book is a must-read." --Brian Patrick Green, Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, USA