An increased life expectancy has resulted in many more people suffering from debilitating and painful life-limiting and terminal conditions. This has made more urgent the question of whether the law in the UK against assisted dying should be re-visited and has generated wide-ranging discussion, not least in the churches. Although churches, by and large, have rejected assisted dying, their opposition has almost entirely relied on secular arguments and neglect a deeper examination of the theological issues that assisted dying raises.
In this book, John Parratt offers a fresh theological re-evaluation of the question of assisted dying. His theological argumentation engages with medical, legal and secular authorities and how they can inform the debate.
He concludes that there are no adequate theological grounds for withholding assisted dying from those who are in terminal or life-limiting pain and who wish to avail themselves of it.