Religions and Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Global, interdisciplinary, and intersectional, this book 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 theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary perspectives, this book serves as a reference for scholars and students engaging with the intersection of religion and ART. 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.

The historical relationship between religion and ART has been complex and often contradictory. Offspring have been considered divine gifts, juxtaposed with infertility, which has be construed as a form of divine punishment. This book explores, however, that in an era marked by escalating fertility challenges, there now exists a compelling need to explore how religion grapples and adjusts alongside the advancements in ART.