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Christian Ethics, the Unborn, and Abortion: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Response to Christian Pro-choice Arguments
Burget, Kyle Blake
Burget, Kyle Blake
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Abstract
The thesis argued in this dissertation is that a biblically and historically faithful Christian ethic holds that the killing of the unborn by means of induced abortion, at any stage of development, is immoral, and any ethic that seeks to justify abortion cannot legitimately claim to be Christian in any meaningful sense. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to the topic of the unborn and abortion in Christian thought. This chapter provides an overview of the methodological approaches employed, surveys various theological works on abortion, and details the significance and contribution of such a dissertation, particularly to the discipline of Christian ethics. Chapter 2 surveys the historical development of the Christian pro-choice movement and the biblical arguments for abortion that have emerged to justify abortion and Christian pro-choice advocacy. Chapter 3 shows that the pro-choice interpretations of the Bible are faulty by setting forth a biblical theology that elucidates the value and humanity of the unborn. Chapter 4 will examine historical Christian teaching related to the unborn and abortion. This chapter will contain a survey of various writings and thinkers throughout Christian history and demonstrate that the overwhelming witness of the church has affirmed the value of preborn human life and denounced the evil of abortion. Chapter 5 will consider the scientific and philosophical topic of personhood and how it relates to the unborn and abortion. I propose that a full-fledged human person, worthy of the same moral considerations as the rest of humanity, comes into existence at the moment of conception. Such a view of personhood is not only scientifically and philosophically satisfying, but it also serves as a better complement to the teachings of the Bible and church tradition. Chapter 6 concludes the study by reviewing the major arguments of religious pro-choice advocates and summarizing how their modern philosophical and theological constructs cannot be reconciled with the Bible and historical Christian teaching, and, thus, must be rejected as incompatible with a faithful Christian ethic.
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Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2026
Date
2026-05
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The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary