Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis

One of the major scientific modern advances in the field of biosciences is tissue engineering. In the practices of tissue engineering, scientists use of combination of cells, biomaterial scaffolds and signaling factors, to generate new tissues, that can be used to replace diseased or damaged tissues...

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Main Authors:	Hashi, Abdurezak Abdulahi, Ahmad Radzi, Muhammad Aa'zamuddin, Mohd. Azharuddin, Nur Syamimi, Azhim, Azran, Munirah, Sha'ban
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society of Malaysia 2018
Subjects:	BP166 Theology (Kalam) BP190.5 Islamization of Knowledge Q128 Islam and Science
Online Access:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/1/RR-020618-097%20NSMA.pdf

id	iium-68915
recordtype	eprints
spelling	iium-689152019-01-04T08:59:06Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/ Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis Hashi, Abdurezak Abdulahi Ahmad Radzi, Muhammad Aa'zamuddin Mohd. Azharuddin, Nur Syamimi Azhim, Azran Munirah, Sha'ban BP166 Theology (Kalam) BP190.5 Islamization of Knowledge Q128 Islam and Science One of the major scientific modern advances in the field of biosciences is tissue engineering. In the practices of tissue engineering, scientists use of combination of cells, biomaterial scaffolds and signaling factors, to generate new tissues, that can be used to replace diseased or damaged tissues including bones, cartilage, bladder, skin and muscles. In the initial stages of tissue engineering, this field was counted among the subfields of biomaterials, however for it includes various scientific and engineering practices, it gradually become independent field of study with promising outcomes particularly when viewed as a way of regenerative medicine. In these practices, the scientists attempt to generate new cells and tissues cultured in the scientific labs. There are instance in which these practices are equated to “creation of cells”, and thus related scientists are subsequently assumed as “playing gods”, an understanding that poses a far reaching theological and moral challenges to traditional and believing communities. It challenges the fundamental belief held by major religious faiths about the Creator God, Who is the source of life, and the Creator of everything and everyone. While in major religious beliefs, it is only God, Who creates life, scientific practices of tissue engineering and stem cell researches, have in some sense depicted man of science to have a role in the process of reproducing living things. This is so, because, if given tissues and cells can be regenerated in given scientific labs, does that mean creating life? If so, is man of science creating, in other word “playing god”? These types of questions generated tremendous theological and philosophical controversies within the scientific community as well as among religious communities. This paper uses analytical method and aims to study the theological challenges of tissue engineering practices, particularly the issues related to playing God, from and within the Islamic theology. The study illustrates the theological challenges of tissues engineering, and analysis the Muslim theological responses to these debates, with brief comparison to that of other faiths. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society of Malaysia 2018-08 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/1/RR-020618-097%20NSMA.pdf Hashi, Abdurezak Abdulahi and Ahmad Radzi, Muhammad Aa'zamuddin and Mohd. Azharuddin, Nur Syamimi and Azhim, Azran and Munirah, Sha'ban (2018) Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis. Regenerative Research, 7 (1). E-ISSN 2232-0822 (In Press) http://regres.tesma.org.my/about.html
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Local University
institution	International Islamic University Malaysia
building	IIUM Repository
collection	Online Access
language	English
topic	BP166 Theology (Kalam) BP190.5 Islamization of Knowledge Q128 Islam and Science
spellingShingle	BP166 Theology (Kalam) BP190.5 Islamization of Knowledge Q128 Islam and Science Hashi, Abdurezak Abdulahi Ahmad Radzi, Muhammad Aa'zamuddin Mohd. Azharuddin, Nur Syamimi Azhim, Azran Munirah, Sha'ban Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis
description	One of the major scientific modern advances in the field of biosciences is tissue engineering. In the practices of tissue engineering, scientists use of combination of cells, biomaterial scaffolds and signaling factors, to generate new tissues, that can be used to replace diseased or damaged tissues including bones, cartilage, bladder, skin and muscles. In the initial stages of tissue engineering, this field was counted among the subfields of biomaterials, however for it includes various scientific and engineering practices, it gradually become independent field of study with promising outcomes particularly when viewed as a way of regenerative medicine. In these practices, the scientists attempt to generate new cells and tissues cultured in the scientific labs. There are instance in which these practices are equated to “creation of cells”, and thus related scientists are subsequently assumed as “playing gods”, an understanding that poses a far reaching theological and moral challenges to traditional and believing communities. It challenges the fundamental belief held by major religious faiths about the Creator God, Who is the source of life, and the Creator of everything and everyone. While in major religious beliefs, it is only God, Who creates life, scientific practices of tissue engineering and stem cell researches, have in some sense depicted man of science to have a role in the process of reproducing living things. This is so, because, if given tissues and cells can be regenerated in given scientific labs, does that mean creating life? If so, is man of science creating, in other word “playing god”? These types of questions generated tremendous theological and philosophical controversies within the scientific community as well as among religious communities. This paper uses analytical method and aims to study the theological challenges of tissue engineering practices, particularly the issues related to playing God, from and within the Islamic theology. The study illustrates the theological challenges of tissues engineering, and analysis the Muslim theological responses to these debates, with brief comparison to that of other faiths.
format	Article
author	Hashi, Abdurezak Abdulahi Ahmad Radzi, Muhammad Aa'zamuddin Mohd. Azharuddin, Nur Syamimi Azhim, Azran Munirah, Sha'ban
author_facet	Hashi, Abdurezak Abdulahi Ahmad Radzi, Muhammad Aa'zamuddin Mohd. Azharuddin, Nur Syamimi Azhim, Azran Munirah, Sha'ban
author_sort	Hashi, Abdurezak Abdulahi
title	Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis
title_short	Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis
title_full	Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis
title_fullStr	Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis
title_full_unstemmed	Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis
title_sort	tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis
publisher	Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society of Malaysia
publishDate	2018
url	http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/68915/1/RR-020618-097%20NSMA.pdf
first_indexed	2023-09-18T21:37:48Z
last_indexed	2023-09-18T21:37:48Z
_version_	1777412937576611840

Tissue engineering and the challenges of “playing god”: a theological analysis

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