A Relational Defence of Surrogate Motherhood

Pauline Everett explores how surrogacy is presented in three secular and three Church reports by focussing upon the surrogate, the commission couple and the child. She explores the key theological and ethical objections to surrogacy, namely: that it undermines motherhood, involves baby selling, coercion, exploitation and commodification. Everett analyses motherhood and reflects on a secular approach and a Christian approach. She examines whether paid surrogacy commodities, exploits and coerces the participants; and its theological understanding seeing human beings as created in the image of God and as having dignity. Everett explores whether paid surrogacy involves baby selling, and uses Augustine and Aquinas to illustrate the concepts of the self and other; arguing that self-interest and altruism can co-exist with care for the self and the other in a relational framework without detriment. She concludes with presenting three models towards surrogacy, and asks for a more sophisticated ontology of the relationship between the self and the other, calling for various solutions in a surrogacy custody battle.>

Préface
Explores surrogate motherhood using Christian ethics within a relational framework.

Auteur

Pauline Everett is an independent scholar who received her PhD from Durham University, UK.

Contenu
Introduction Chapter One Government and Church Reports Investigating Surrogate Motherhood Chapter Two The Concept of Motherhood Chapter Three Commodification, Exploitation, and Coercion in Surrogate Motherhood Chapter Four Self-Interest, Altruism, and Baby Selling in Paid and Unpaid Surrogacy Chapter Five The Contract Model, The Adoption Model, and the Relational Model for Surrogate Motherhood Conclusion Bibliography Index