Lebel, Robert Rober

English

epublications@Marquette

The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 47 | Number 3 Article 178-1-1980[Book Review of ] Artful Childmaking by John C.WakefieldRobert Rober LebelFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqPart of the Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, and the Medicine and Health SciencesCommonsRecommended CitationLebel, Robert Rober (1980) "[Book Review of] Artful Childmaking by John C. Wakefield," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 47: No. 3,Article 17.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol47/iss3/17Artful Childmaking John C. Wakefield Pope John XXIII Medical-Moral Research and Education Center, St. Louis, Mo., 1978. 205 pp. This book is the first in a series devoted to papal teaching on various medical-ethical issues. It addresses the question of artificial insemination. The au thor approaches the task with the dispassionate and carefully balanced perspective of a genuine scholar. The central materials of the monograph are dicta by various bishops of Rome. Pius XII is the only pontiff to have addressed the issue explicitly, but Wakefield also finds relevant comments on related questions from other papal documents. He is careful to include contributions by many theologians. He gleans from each scholar his chief contributions, to present a brief but thorough history of-develop-ing opinion on this matter. In fact, he does this nicely within the context of evolving perspectives on other, related questions of sexual ethics: contraception and masturbation. Wakefield makes clear that there are actually at least two distinct problems: artificial insemination by husband (AIH) and by donor (AID). The differences are spelled out, and the different theological approaches are pursued. The author's bottom line seems to be that there is ultimately little theological objection to AIH, and that AID is undesirable for a variety of reasons (theological, psychologic and genetic) but not necessarily always unacceptable. Artful Childmaking is a superb piece of work. Wakefield has faithfully summa-rized massive source materials , making it possible for the reader to achieve a close understanding of the developing argument by reading one small book. His style is a bit colorless, but someone seriously interested in the detailed analysis of the morality of artificial insemination should receive this book with enthusiasm. - Robert Rober Lebel , S.J. University of Wisconsin Medical School 288 . Linacre Quarterly 

[Book Review of] \u3cem\u3eArtful Childmaking\u3c/em\u3e by John C. Wakefield

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2553&amp;context=lnq

[Book Review of] \u3cem\u3eArtful Childmaking\u3c/em\u3e by John C. Wakefield

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