Laputko A. Anthropological foundations of Christian bioethics

For the first time a religious analysis of the anthropological foundations of Christian bioethics was carried out. It is investigated that in modern bioethical researches and practice of their realization two opposite worldview directions are traced: ethical absolutism in Christian philosophy and ethical relativism in utilitarianism and pragmatism. Christian bioethics is based on the anthropological concept of man as a holistic personality and social being. The thesis of the dignity of the human person is contained in the biblical concept of the creation of man in the image and likeness of God. The Christian anthropological concept is based on the perception of the individual as an inseparable unity of the physical and the spiritual. Man, by his actions on the basis of conscience, accepts or does not accept the good that God has promised him. Anthropological themes throughout the history of Christianity have been widely understood and studied, given the mystery of the Incarnation as a dogma of faith. Modern Christian bioethics is mainly developed by the Catholic Church, due to three factors: the greater propensity of Catholic leaders to regulate all the behavior of individuals and communities; significant development of Christian anthropology in Catholic theology of the XX century; using the language of personalistic neotomism, which allows for all humanistic-liberal forms of expression to preach the traditional conservative meaning. The Catholic Church has a clear position on bioethical issues, based on the recognition of the value and dignity of human life and respect for human rights. This criterion does not imply any exceptions: neither in terms of social affiliation, nor age, nor public policy, and so on. Modern Christian bioethics of recognizing the value of human life, to which the encyclical of Pope John Paul II «Evangelium Vitae» is dedicated, is the defining core of Catholic anthropology, based primarily on the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In encyclical «Fratelli tutti» Pope Francis seeks to provide ideas for confronting the trials of the Covid-19 epidemic. The transformation of the individual into an individual, the tendencies of unification connected with globalization, characteristic of the consumer society, are criticized. A radical adoption of an ethical position on the dignity of the individual as a foundation for social order and the rule of law is proposed. A new theory of social consensus is given, taking into account the realities of communicative society. Orthodox bioethics develops from the repetition of the provisions of Catholic bioethics to more informal approaches that would take into account the specific life circumstances of the individual and provide freedom of action even contrary to the formal rules of social teaching. Protestant bioethics has become the scene of cultural wars between supporters of the subject's absolute freedom and supporters of the «movement for lifе».