Body & Soul: Human Nature & the Crisis in Ethics

Advanced medical and scientific technologies constantly challenge the way in which humankind perceives the connection between the physical body and the spiritual soul. Historically, philosophers and theologians have relied on the concept of substance dualism to explain the body/soul separation, but contemporary intellectual trends have ranged more toward Christian materialism. Sticking to tradition, professors Moreland and Rae (at Talbot School of Theology and Biola University, respectively) defend substance dualism (of the Thomistic, as opposed to the Cartesian, variety) and libertarian agency in this weighty tome. The authors convincingly acknowledge opposing arguments and philosophies while building a case of their own (e.g., that a human being is a substance, not a property-thing). They frequently quote from scholarship in the fields of ethics and religion, evaluating the body/soul dichotomy through the use of mathematical theorems and real-life examples. Although the authors note that they ""have chosen to write the book at... a fairly high academic level,"" they also hope ""a nonspecialist will be able to gain much."" Only academics, philosophers and ethicists will grasp the book's meatier arguments, although skipping the metaphysical reflections of the first sections makes it slightly more palatable. (Apr.)