| Whether one adheres to a whole-brain or a brainstem understanding of death, considerable questions render neurological death unacceptable to some. The close connection between brain death and the process of organ procurement evokes uncertainty over the motives behind determining death by neurological criteria. However, a review of the medical and ethical literature surrounding brain death shows that when analyzed as a distinct issue---apart from organ transplantation---a cortical definition represents a reasonable way to manage patients in such dire circumstances. According to the Orthodox Christian Tradition, life and death embrace and transcend biological functions; they are physical and spiritual realities of the person. As such, room exists within the Tradition to accept brain death as the death of the person.; The Orthodox Church has not issued a catholic statement on the topic of brain death that addresses people who experience their common faith through diverse sociological and cultural backdrops. Individual theologians, however, have provided their localized perspectives on the topic through their interpretation of organ transplantation. Some, like Zeses and Hristodoulides, believe that brain death and the removal of life-sustaining technologies constitute murder. The Church of Greece, Harakas, and Demopulos hold the opposite position. Breck feels that only whole-brain death is acceptable since this constitutes the end of personal identity. Reviewing this literature, however, does not yield a thoroughly and theologically convincing argument for accepting or rejecting brain death.; The present work integrates Orthodox Christian theology with the scientific, medical, and bioethical issues associated with brain death, informed by the insight of George Annas. The historical relationship between the Orthodox Church and medicine reveals that the physician's professional opinion is warranted and highly valued in this discussion. In addition, integrating medicine, theology, and bioethics not only offers fuller comprehension of the brain death issue, but also brings the Tradition's perception of the human person as a psychosomatic reality into focus. For the inter-Orthodox dialogue, the dissertation offers an opportunity to formulate a unified Orthodox position. For the inter-religious and inter-disciplinary dialogues, the exposition provides a unique theological interpretation that adds a different dimension to the overall conversation. |
