Religions and Assisted Reproductive Technologies : Comparative Global Perspectives

Global, interdisciplinary, and intersectional, this edited volume examines the discourses on and interplay between religion and Assisted Reproductive Technologies, shedding light on how religious beliefs and practices can adapt to contemporary challenges.

Investigating the issue from diverse methodologicaland disciplinary perspectives, this volume serves as a reference for scholars and students engaging with the intersection of religion and ARTs. To contextualise this contemporary debate, the book also contains chapters on past eras focusing on mythological narratives. These interrogate stories detailing surrogacy and male pregnancies, and case studies in which a deity, or a priest, personally solve infertility. It then explores modern contexts, including egg donation, lesbian women’s access to assisted reproduction, reproductive biohacking in speculative feminist fiction, and philosophical reflections on public deliberation and moral pluralism.

The historical relationship between religion and ARTs has been complex and often contradictory. Offspring have been considered divine gifts, juxtaposed with infertility, which has been construed as a form of divine punishment. This book explores how, in an era marked by escalating fertility challenges, religions grapple with and adjust to advancements in ART.