Peter Singer and Christian Ethics Beyond Polarization

Interaction between Peter Singer and Christian ethics, to the extent that it has happened at all, has been unproductive and often antagonistic. Singer sees himself as leading a 'Copernican Revolution' against a sanctity of life ethic, while many Christians associate his work with a 'culture of death'. Charles Camosy shows that this polarized understanding of the two positions is a mistake. While their conclusions about abortion and euthanasia may differ, there is surprising overlap in Christian and Singerite arguments, and disagreements are interesting and fruitful. Furthermore, it turns out that Christians and Singerites can even make common cause, for instance in matters such as global poverty and the dignity of non-human animals. Peter Singer and Christian ethics are far closer than almost anyone has imagined, and this book is valuable to those who are interested in fresh thinking about the relationship between religious and secular ethics.

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Abortion; 2. Euthanasia and the end of life; 3. Non-human animals; 4. Duties to the poor; 5. Ethical theory; 6. Singer's shift?; Conclusion; Bibliography; Appendices.

Charles C. Camosy is Assistant Professor of Theology at Fordham University, New York. He is author of Too Expensive to Treat?: Finitude, Tragedy and the Neonatal ICU (2010).