Medical Ethics: Principles, Persons, and Problems

by John M. Frame

John Frame analyzes a wide range of biblical principles as they apply to the intricate problems and personal considerations in the field of medical treatment.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Medical Ethics, Medicine, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1988

About the author

For his education, Frame received degrees from Princeton University (A.B.), Westminster Theological Seminary (B.D.), Yale University (A.M. and M.Phil., though he was working on a doctorate and admits his own failure to complete his dissertation), and Belhaven College (D.D.). He has served on the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary and was a founding faculty member of their California campus. He currently (as of 2022) teaches Apologetics and The History of Philosophy and Christian thought at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL.

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good careful analysis in a much needed area.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fearless. Frame goes out of his way to tackle the most thorny issues he can come up with (Although sadly, the book is ancient by modern medical standards*). The methodology is instructive, and his conclusion are insightful, sometimes being downright creative. As a bonus, the appendix which includes the 1970 OPC report on abortion (largely written by Frame) is easily the best piece of work I've ever read on the subject.

*i.e. Does not include several modern issues which need someone like him parsing them out.

[Aaron J. Gregas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5. This volume is immensely helpful, and for the most part excellent in its analysis and arguments. John Frame is always particularly helpful on any subject he addresses. Even when he draws, in my opinion, wrong conclusions, his method of careful argumentation is both to be commendable and to be imitated.

The main issue with this volume (and perhaps the only issue) is that it is quite dated (published in 1988). Frame certainly could have revised and updated it in the past 40 years, but to my knowledge has not done so. Otherwise, the arguments and conclusions still stand the test of time, making this contribution to a distinctively Christian iteration of bioethics very valuable.

Among the most important contributions of this work is his examination of the criterion of brain death. There Frame argues that brain death is not a sufficient grounds for pronouncing clinical death, apart from the loss of irreversible function of the heart and lungs as well. Appendix a dealing with some critiques to his view was very helpful as well. Second, the inclusion of the OPC’s report on abortion was very good, even though it was written in 1970 (before Roe vs. Wade).