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InhaltsangabePART ONE: The Morality of Embryo Adoption; Introduction: The Ethics of Embryo Adoption and the Catholic Tradition-Sarah-Vaughan Brakman and Darlene Fozard Weaver; Arguments against; Heterologous Embryo Transfer: Metaphor and Morality-William E. Stempsey; Human Embryo Transfer and the Theology of the Body-Catherine Althaus; On the Moral Objectionablity of Embryo Adoption-Tadeusz Pacholczyk; Arguments for; Could Human Embryo Transfer Be Intrinsically Immoral?- Christopher O. Tollefsen; Ethical Considerations in Defense of Embryo Adoption-Brandon P. Brown and Jason T. Eberl; Stewards of Each Other: Catholic Social Thought and the Ethics of Embryo Adoption-Sarah-Vaughan Brakman. PART TWO: The Debate Engaged; Embryo Adoption Theologically Considered: Bodies, Adoption, and the Common Good-Darlene Fozard Weaver; From Rescuing Frozen Embryos to Respecting the Limits of Nature: Reframing the Embryo Adoption Debate- Paul Lauritzen; Embryo 'Adoption?' An Egalitarian Perspective-Mary Mahowald; A Protestant View: Catholic Debates and Embryo Adoption-Eric Gregory. PART THREE: Morality in the Practice; Development of The National Embryo Donation Cente-Jeffrey Keenan; An Embryo Aoptive Father's Perspective- John Stanmeyer; An Embryo Adoptive Mother's Perspective- Suzanne Stanmeyer; Ethical and Religious Directives for a Catholic Embryo Adoption Agency: A Thought Experiment-John Berkman and Kristen N. Carey; Embryo Adoption and the Law-Elizabeth Cason Crosby Cheely; Artificial Wombs and Embryo Adoption-Christopher Kaczor; Notes on Contributors; Index.

At last, a comprehensive collection of essays that examines and advances ethical evaluations of the controversial and increasingly popular practice of embryo adoption. In the United States alone, 400,000 frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization exist but are no longer desired for that purpose. What are we morally obliged or permitted to do about these "spare" embryos? More of their genetic parents are considering donating these embryos to others to gestate and raise. This practice is politically volatile (figuring in debates about embryonic stem cells) and medically and morally complex. At the present time within the Roman Catholic Church there is no official teaching on embryo adoption. Catholic ethical analyses grapple with the way embryo adoption comports with respect for embryonic human life yet challenges Catholic moral critiques of assisted reproductive technologies. This volume brings together leading philosophers and theologians to engage Catholic debates about embryo adoption in an interactive format. The editors, a philosopher bioethicist and a moral theologian, provide a helpful overview of the practice and the arguments surrounding embryo adoption. They engage neglected Catholic ethical resources and issues to advance the current debate and chart new directions in Catholic moral thinking about this intriguing practice. The volume also includes a description of embryo adoption from a physician practitioner along with reflections from a couple who successfully adopted an embryo.