Christian medical ethics, in so far as it is Christian medical ethics, speaks on the basis of the distinctive knowledge of humankind which is given by the Word of God. It thus does not and cannot make common cause with ‘bioethics’, or ‘biomedical ethics’, as these are usually practised, for as thus practised they do not view humankind in the light of this knowledge. Christian medical ethics is, rather, obliged to begin from its own starting place, taking up its constructive task from its unique and distinctive presupposition, namely the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is in the light of this Gospel of the Word spoken to humankind, that humankind gains a true self-understanding.

The subject of medical ethics can be thought of, we might say, as the beginning, being and ending of human life in so far as this beginning, being and ending properly become the concern of medicine and, in turn, pose ethical questions. On the basis of what has already been said, however, it will be clear that our very identification of these questions, as well as our answering of them, must be determined by the understanding of humankind gained from our knowledge of the Word of God.