Abstract

The dissertation deals with the protestant doctrine of the Imago Dei as espoused by Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Tillich. The dissertation seeks to answer the question whether or not there will be an harmonious ethical approach arising from their diverse formulations of the Imaqo Dei from which to address human creative genetic engineering, or more specifically, the scientific likelihood of the chimera and the specialized human mutant. ;The opening two chapters are spent in establishing the legitimacy of this likelihood. Three correlative factors are discussed to support this: the recent technological advances in genetic engineering, the contemporary view of human personhood as widely divorced from theistic perspectives and the prevailing functional moral principles in genetic engineering that clearly influence toward progress. ;The next three chapters, the brunt of the dissertation, deal respectively with Barth, Niebuhr and Tillich--first by analyzing their particular formulations of the doctrine of the image of God with their broader anthropological presentations and ethical frameworks. Secondly, several recurring theological themes are detailed that appear most applicable for ethical bearing upon creative genetic engineering. In particular three themes common to these theologians are exposited: their common affirmations of the image of God as evidenced by: the uniqueness of humanity; human self-transcendence; and human freedom for self-determination. But will their individual theological treatments of these common areas yield an ethical harmony for approaching the issue of human genetic artistry? ;The main thesis throughout the dissertation is that not ethical unity, but rather ethical diversity will be the watchword in contemporary protestantism in its approach to the likelihood of human creative genetic engineering. This main thesis was substantiated in that Karl Barth's theology and ethics incline his true followers toward a non-casuistical position of ethical impropriety regarding the chimera and the specialized human mutant, whereas for Tillich and Niebuhr, no direct prohibitions can be found. In this sense the dissertation presents some preliminary theological and ethical considerations that may be built upon for addressing this fast developing area of science