Protestant Perspectives on Informed Consent (Particularly in Research Involving Human Participants)

This Article examines Protestant positions on informed consent/refusal regarding the use of human subjects in research. Primarily focusing on the work of Paul Ramsey, a Protestant scholar in science and ethics, the article describes the relationship between the God-man covenant and man-to-man covenants and the consequences thereof. Exploring the line between what Ramsey calls "charity" and "justice," the article finds differences between therapeutic and nontherapeutic research and who may participate with or without consent.