Islamic Ethics of Life: Abortion, War, and Euthanasia (Studies in Comparative Religion)

Bys: Brockopp, Jonathan E. and Outka, Gene

Book Overview

2005 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

A pioneering work on controversial issues within the Muslim world

Islamic Ethics of Life considers three of the most contentious ethical issues of our time--abortion, war, and euthanasia--from the Muslim perspective. Distinguished scholars of Islamic studies have collaborated to produce a volume that both integrates Muslim thinking into the field of applied ethics and introduces readers to an aspect of the religion long overlooked in the West. This collective effort sets forth the relationship between Islamic ethics and law, clearly revealing the complexity and richness of the Islamic tradition as well as its responsiveness to these controversial modern issues. The contributors analyze classical sources and survey the modern ethical landscape to identify guiding principles within Islamic ethical thought. Clarifying the importance of pragmatism in Islamic decision making, the contributors also offer case studies related to specialized topics, including "wrongful birth" claims, terrorist attacks, and brain death. The case studies elicit possible variations on common Muslim perspectives. The contributors situate Muslim ethics relative to Christian and secular accounts of the value of human life, exposing surprising similarities and differences.

In an introductory overview of the volume, Jonathan E. Brockopp underscores the steady focus on God as the one who determines the value of human life, and hence as the final arbiter of Islamic ethics. A foreword by Gene Outka places the volume in the context of general ethical studies, and an afterword by A. Kevin Reinhart suggests some significant ramifications for comparative religious ethics.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570034710
• ISBN13: 9781570034718
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: University of South Carolina Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Thought Provoking and Informative!

I read the essays on abortion and war from this book recently for my seminar on Islamic law (I didn't get to the section on euthanasia). I found the two on abortion particularly fascinating--there is one that gives the historical status of the fetus in Islamic law, and then another that discusses the contemporary Muslim ethics of abortion. The latter essay includes an overview of abortion practices and policies in Islamic and Muslim countries (there's a difference! Islamic = political structure based on religion; Muslim = secular government with a Muslim majority population). I would highly recommend this book. Also, because of the variety of authors who have written the essays in different styles, you get a nice change of pace every chapter.

Diversely interpretive yet thoughtful

Islamic Ethics Of Life: Abortion, War, And Euthanasia is a collection of scholarly essays compiled by Jonathan E. Brockopp (Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Pennsylvania State University) and representing the observations of nine expert authors dealing with the critical interaction between Islamic faith and Islamic thought with reference to three specific ethical issues of life and death -- abortion, war, and euthanasia. The diverse essays are each are devoted to the volatile and controversial subjects while keeping in mind both the Islamic perspective and practical issues in daily life affecting such matters. A diversely interpretive yet thoughtful and highly recommended collection, Islamic Ethics Of Life is a critically important contribution to personal and academic Islamic Studies collections.