The Silent Subject

Reflections on the Unborn in American Culture

Brad Stetson

Yet amid the prolonged cultural sound and fury, there remains the silent unborn human being that we all once were, and in whose innocence there reposes the best of each of us.

Introduction by Brad Stetson

Our children are wonderfully made in our own image, in the image of our betters. If… we take pleasure in our power to destroy “the fullness that love began,” we betray the sacrifices our parents made for us; we give to death those who might have brought us life more abundant than our lights can limn. 

Feminism and Imaging the Unborn by Camille S. Williams

The Silent Subject is a collection of essays edited by Brad Stetson. Each essay provides a unique reflection on the unborn and the abortion debate in America, in one of five categories (ethical, cultural, personal, religious, legal). The authors come from a variety of different backgrounds, but their essays as a whole provide an engaging look at various aspects of the abortion debate, helping to shed light on the controversy as a whole. The book provides a reflective, thoughtful approach to the issue, with varied and complex opinions. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone interested in the pro-life movement.

The Silent Subject Essays

Ethical:

The Moral Status of Fetuses and Embryo

Ignorance of Fetal Status as a Justification of Abortion: A Critical Analysis

Moral Duty to the Unborn and its Significance*

The “Medicalizing” of Abortion Decisions


Cultural:

Feminism and Imaging the Unborn

Sex and Consequnces: An Anthropological View


Personal:

Motherhood in the 90’s: To Have or Have Not

Pregnancy Care Centers: Sisterhood is Powerful

Women Who Abort: Their Reflections on the Unborn


Religious:

When Good Men Do Nothing: Reflections From a Modern-Day Bürgermeister

The Catholic Debate on the Moral Status of the Embryo


The Effective Enforcement of Abortion Law Before Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court Jurisprudence and Prenatal Life


Find The Silent Subject: Reflections on the Unborn in American Culture at your local library or purchase here!

Lydia Saffian 2022

*Recommended essays have been bolded by the author of this review.