About the Book
This anthology, with contributions by leading scholars, introduces a new theme into the growing field of science-and-theology. This is the third volume published in association with ESSSAT in the series. This volume focuses on two topics that have so far received little attention, in the growing field of science-and-theology, i.e. ethical matters and issues raised by the technological applications of scientific knowledge. The book's main themes are: technology's impact on our worldview; morality, nature, and culture; and, morality in a technological society. The book is a selection of contributions to the ESSSAT conference in Nijmegen on "Values and Ethical Issues in Theology, Science and Technology". The essays have been selected on the basis of quality, and revised in order to create a comprehensive and carefully focused volume.
Table of Contents:
Preface and Acknowledgements List of Contributors 1.Introduction: Technological and Moral Creatures or Creators? Willem B. Drees, University of Leiden, the Netherlands PART I: TECHNOLOGY'S IMPACT ON OUR WORLDVIEW 2.ICT and the Character of Finitude RenT P.H. Munnik, University of Twente, the Netherlands 3.Technology and the Changing Notion of Nature Zbigniew Liana, The Pontifical Academy of Theology, Cracow, Poland 4.Co-creator or co-creator: The Problem with Artificial Intelligence Noreen Herzfeld, St. John's University, Collegeville, MN, USA 5.From Thou to IT: Information Technology from the Perspective of the Language Philosophy of Rosenzweig and Rosenstock-Huessy Otto Kroesen, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands 6.Being Cyborgs: On Creating Humanity in a Created World of Technology Taede Smedes, University of Leiden, the Netherlands PART II: MORALITY, NATURE, AND CULTURE 7.The Perennial Debate about Human Goodness: The Primate Evidence Frans B.M. de Waal, Emory University, Atlanta, USA 8.Theological Reflections on the Moral Nature of Nature Nancey Murphy, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA 9.Is it Suitable to Translate Christian Anthropological Topics into Genetic and Cognitive Categories? The Case of Original Sin Llufs Oviedo, Pontifical Ateneum Antonianum, Rome, Italy PART III: MORALITY IN A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY 10.Ethical Issues of AI and Biotechnology Margaret A. Boden, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK 11.Co-creation or Hubris? Responses to Biotechnology in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam Ulf G÷rman, Lund University, Sweden 12.The Human being a Co-Creator? Theological Reflections on Reproductive Cloning of Human Individuals Jan-Olav Henriksen, The Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology, Oslo, Norway 13.When Astronomers and Environmentalists Clash Over a Sky Island Christopher J. Corbally, SJ, The Vatican Observatory, Rome, Italy, and University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA 14.The Crisis of Ideologies and the Need for a New Anthropology: Values Education in a Technological and Pragmatic Age Angela Roothaan, The Free University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Index
About the Author :
Ulf Görman is Professor of Ethics at Lund University, Sweden. Willem B. Drees is professor of philosophy of religion and ethics at Leiden University, the Netherlands, President of ESSSAT, and author of Religion, Science and Naturalism (Cambridge UP, 1996), and Creation: From Nothing until Now (Routledge, 2001). Hubert Meisinger, Ph.D., is director for environmental affairs at the Center Social Responsibility in Mainz, associate director of studies for science and theology at the Protestant Academy Arnoldshain, associate lecturer in Systematic Theology at Darmstadt University of Technology and Vice-President of ESSSAT. He wrote a study on theological and sociobiological views of altruism: Liebesgebot und Altruismusforschung (Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht, 1996) and co-edited Physik, Kosmologie und Spiritualität (Lang, 2006).
Review :
"This is a well-written book which features short essays on some of the most important contemporary issues in science and technology, and religion."
"This is a collection of 14 informative and provocative papers."Theology, November 2008
'The essays were revised in order to create a carefully focused volume, and the editors have done well in producing a tightly knit book, well worthy of review by participants in the ongoing theology and science dialogue.'
