Charles Birch – författare

Through his writing, teaching and public speaking, Charles Birch has drawn attention to the relationship between science and religion and the ways in which they shape our attitudes to the world around us. In this timely book, he discusses the influences on his life and work that led to him forming a philosophy that combines science and religion. With a series of conversational snapshots of his mentors, including some of the most eminent scientists, philosophers and theologians of the 20th century such as Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr, Birch shows how his ideas developed. In the second part of the book he explains the philosophy that he came to form, known as 'Process Thought', which seeks to reconcile these opposites. This memoir summarises the influences on, the life and the work of an important Australian thinker and writer.

Genetics and the Quality of Life covers the papers and report of a consultation on Genetics and the Quality of Life, held in Zurich on June 25-29, 1973, organized by the sub-unit on Church and Society of the World Council of Churches in cooperation with the Christian Medical Commission. The book focuses on the interrelation of genetics and quality of life. The selection first elaborates on genetics and moral responsibility and ethics and the new biology. Discussions focus on breakdown of values, genetically determined debility versus socially determined debility, ethical problems, and genetic inequality and moral responsibility. The text then examines ethical issues raised by eugenics, judging the social values of scientific advances, ethical problems raised by genetics, and problems raised by eugenics in Africa. Topics include the right to an adequate physical and mental endowment, genetic engineering, euphenics, constraints imposed by genetics, fertilization of human ova in vitro, and ethical questions in eugenics. The manuscript reviews findings on genetics and the quality of life, sociogenetic problems and public opinion, social and ethical problems in caring for genetically handicapped children, ethical problems in genetic counselling, and psychological issues in counselling the genetically handicapped. The selection is a dependable source of information for researchers interested in the connection of genetics and quality of life.