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Nelson, Thomas K.

A5055316338 | I4210125099

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Citations 3

Book Review: Catholic Guide to Depression

The Linacre Quarterly | August 16, 2017 | Volume: 84 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 317-319

10.1080/00243639.2017.1298345

Is the Human Zygote a Person?

The Linacre Quarterly | June 1, 2017 | Volume: 72 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 281-293

10.1080/20508549.2005.11877761 | PMID 16471031

Personhood and Embryo Adoption

The Linacre Quarterly | February 7, 2013 | Volume: 79 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 261-274

10.1179/002436312804872767 | PMID 30082974

The morality of embryo adoption, or heterologous embryo transfer for rescue, remains controversial despite the issuance of Dignitas personae (2008). When evaluating such bioethical controversies, it is crucial to take account of the personal order. Personalism provides a fresh and heretofore underdeveloped perspective toward resolving this polarized issue in bioethics. I will argue that it is not discriminatory to oppose embryo adoption on the basis of the heterology between rescuer and embryo because the lack of genetic relatedness reflects a more profound lack of personal relatedness. The persons involved in embryo adoption are not meant for the bodily relationship of pregnancy because of the incommunicability of relationships that involve the total gift of the human body. From the perspective of biology, pregnancy is natural life support for the embryo. From the perspective of personhood, pregnancy is fundamentally a relationship of embodied persons, one that is irreplaceable and radically exclusive. The clinical implications of this analysis will be discussed.