Life in the Balance: Exploring the Abortion Controversy

By Robert Wennberg and Robert N. Wennberg

Book Overview

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable.

Few issues have preoccupied our minds and emotions in recent years as has the abortion controversy. The arguments for and against abortion are many and varied -- moral, ethical, biblical, theological, legal -- and their presentations have ranged from the highly technical to the simplistic and dogmatic.

In this book Robert N. Wennberg looks at all of the major arguments from the whole spectrum of positions on the abortion issue. He does so both earnestly and fairly, taking care to point out that most of the arguments follow soundly from their premises, and that most of the parties to the debate are altruistically motivated. Cutting through the sensationally prejudicial language often used in arguments about abortion, Wennberg clearly lays out what merit the various arguments have individually so readers can compare them sensibility.

Writing out of the evangelical Protestant tradition, Wennberg nevertheless looks fairly and with an open mind at all of the arguments. And although his discussion entails fine points of medicine and philosophical argumentation, he presents it in a thoroughly accessible fashion, making this book valuable for anyone who wants a noncrusading presentation of this crucial issue.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802800610
• ISBN13: 9780802800619
• Release Date: October 1985
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An interesting, informative read

I used "Life in the Balance" primarily as a resource for a philosophy paper I wrote on the definition of personhood at my university. It was an incredibly helpful read, for it really broke down different perspectives of what it means to be a person and showed how those definitions play out in the abortion issue. Those searching for arguments to use against "pro-abortion leftists" will be unsatisfied with this book, for it takes a much more moderate approach compared to something written by Jerry Falwell or James Dobson. I don't think I agree with some of the conclusions of the book, but it was still one of the most comprehensive books I read on the topic. I used a library copy for my paper, but I am now purchasing my own copy, but because I want it as a resource for the future.

Insightful and informing on the topic

I have read other books on the subject, but none so objective and insightful as this one. I was captivated by the engrossing writing style of Mr. Wennberg and was re-educated on the key points surrounding the abortion issue. This is a must buy for any thinking person interested in the ethical debate on abortion.