Jacci Stoyle

A/gender for Change in the New Reproductive Technologies: a Feminist Interrogation of Secular and Theological Discourses Relating to the New Reproductive Technologies Jacci Stoyle

Since the historic birth of Louise Brown (1978), the first 'test-tube' baby, the revelations of the New Reproductive Technologies (NRTs) have continued to become front page news. Caught up in this media hype, infertile couples and IVF practitioners have looked to the Church for moral guidance. However, the premise of this book is that the Church has been found wanting in its pastoral and prophetic role in this increasingly vital socio-cultural area, predominantly because woman's subject position of invisibility in theological discouses prevents the Church from speaking differently to the secular world. Based on an understanding of Michel Foucault's insights regarding the construction of subject positions, the book seeks to interrogate and compare the constructions of woman and the embryo in both secular and theological discourses. A case is made for using critical discourse analysis as the tool of deconstruction for this purpose. The discussion evolves to suggest a different framework of moral perception. The book would be useful for students or professionals working in the field of ethics, feminist theology, the NRTs, critical discourse analysis and Foucauldian scholars.