Interdisciplinary in composition, this volume brings together leading academics in the fields of biology, law, theology, ethics and sociology to share their viewpoints and insights and to promote exchange between disciplines regarding this important area of technological development and ethical interest

Contents: Foreword; The Wartburg conference project: human biotechnology as a challenge to society, Stefan Lorenz Sorgner; Part I Science: Research on human embryos?, Christiane Nÿsslein-Volhard; The potential of stem cells, Hans R. Schöler. Part II Law: Human biotechnology, transculturality, globalization and symbolic (criminal) law, Carlos María Romeo Casabona; Human biotechnology as a legal challenge, Jÿrgen Simon. Part III The Church: Human biotechnology as a social challenge, Christoph Kÿhler; Ethical and theological challenges to human biotechnology: observations from the perspective of Catholic theology Joachim Wanke. Part IV Philosophical and Theological Ethics: Human dignity as a regulatory principle of bioethics, Reiner Anselm; Tolerance and respect in bioethical conflicts, Nikolaus Knoepffler; Human biotechnology as an ethical and social challenge, Julian Nida-Rÿmelin; Bioethics between physis and nomos, Gianni Vattimo. Part V Society: On the responsibility of the scientist, Dagmar Schipanski; Social responsibility in view of new possibilities in human biology, Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker; Glossary; Indexes.