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Genetic Manipulation and the Body of Christ

Department of Theology and Religion, University of Durham, Abbey House, Palace Green, Durham DH1 3RS, robert.song{at}durham.ac.uk

Efforts to distinguish therapeutic from non-therapeutic genetic interventions in the human body have floundered on the assumption that the body should be understood as a psycho-physical corpus. This article argues by contrast that the body of Christ, that is the church, should be seen as the hermeneutical key to interpreting the body, and therefore that features of the corporate life of the church can provide criteria for distinguishing acceptable from unacceptable forms of genetic intervention. Formation of the bodies of Christians in the church is contrasted with the formation of the body by the reflexive project of modern self-identity.

Key Words: body • body of Christ • church • cosmetic surgery • genetic enhancement • Giddens

Studies in Christian Ethics, Vol. 20, No. 3, 399-420 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0953946807082935


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