Title: Abortion and the early church: Christian, Jewish and pagan attitudes in the Greco-Roman world

POPLINE Document Number: 017774

Author(s):

Gorman MJ

Source citation:

Downers Grove, Ill, InterVarsity Press, 1982. 120 p.

Abstract:

Opposition to abortion was consistent and pronounced during Christianity's 1st 400 years. Early Christian writings on abortion stress 3 themes: 1) the fetus is a creation of God, 2) abortion is murder, and 3) God's judgment falls on those guilty of abortion. The influence of these views may have led to the 1st Roman antiabortion statutes, enacted in the 3rd century following widespread practice of abortion. In contrast to the utilitarian approach of the Romans, which stressed the rights of the state and the paterfamilias, the Christian perspective was based on the rights of the fetus as an independent living being. The Christian ethic was influenced by the love for life and hatred of bloodshed expressed in the Jewish Scriptures. Violence against the fetus became equated with violence against one's neighbor. Christianity did not at first distinguish between legal and ethical perspectives on the fetus. This lack of concern with legal definition led to a more blanket moral condemnation of abortion than is found in Judaism. The 1st ecclesiastical laws against abortion emerged in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Council of Ancyra meted out 10 years of excommunication for abortion and drew no distinction between formed and unformed fetuses. The theme of forgiveness of those who abort was later introduced. Contemporary evaluation and application of the beliefs of early Christians should be based on 4 questions: 1) Is the historical belief or practice based on Scripture? 2) Does it stand the test of universality? 3) Does it stand the test of time? and 4) Is the past situation analogous to the current situation? The early church offers contemporary Christians a model for a logical, consistent pro-life position which opposes all forms of violence. It is inconsistent for Christians to oppose abortion yet support the nuclear arms race. The reverse is also true. Early Christian literature is full of themes which could serve as a starting point for the development of a new ethic on behalf of the unborn.

Keywords:

Global
Europe
Abortion
Attitude
Religion
Christianity
Judaism
Historical Review
Family Planning
Protestantism
Religious Aspects
Developed Countries
Fertility Control, Postconception
Psychological Factors
Behavior