Scholarship
The ‘Good Life’ or a Life that is Good? Aging, Death, and Christian Theology in American Culture
Publication Date
1993
Publication
Word and World
Document Type
Article
Abstract
It is the best of times, or it is the worst of times. So it seems when reflecting on the current state of American medicine, particularly as it relates to issues of aging and death. On the one hand, it seems to many people to be the best of times. After all, significant advances have been made that have extended the life expectancies of people so that we are not surprised to hear of people living not only into their 70s but also their 80s and 90s. Research into transplants (including the use of animal organs), artificial hearts, and even the use of aborted fetal tissues (e.g., for Parkinson’s Disease) holds out a hope to many that perhaps we will be able to extend “the good life” a few years more. There is a sense that medicine provides the great hope for Americans to have happy and healthy lives
Recommended Citation
The ‘Good Life’ or a Life that is Good? Aging, Death, and Christian Theology in American Culture,” Word and World 13/3 (Summer 1993) 284-293.
