Food for Thought. (Book Review).

John Perry, S.J., Food for Thought, Novalis, Ottawa, ON, 2002, pp. 152, $17.95 Cdn. or $12.95 U.S.

In this book, Perry addresses the subject of technology, the responsibility to society of those who invent and promote it, the rights of those who invent it, referred to as intellectual property rights, and the risks of those who will use it. Finally, he offers some insights from the theology of the Eucharist to deal with the relationship between the Eucharist and transgenic modification.

In the first chapter, Perry outlines the history of barbed wire. Of several inventors of barbed wire in the U.S., in the nineteenth century, one emerged as the holder of a patent which won out over competitors, Joseph Glidden. He went on to make his fortune with it. Originally meant to keep cattle in a designated area, barbed wire was used in the Boer War in World War I to keep the enemy at a distance and by Hitler to confine people in concentration camps. The technology was morally neutral but it was used for good and bad purposes.

Perry points to a similar situation with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Regarding the revolution in biotechnology, Perry writes, "Within the world of intellectual property rights, one discovers a battle between grace and freedom, on the one hand, and sin and deception on the other. For this reason any discussion of Catholic teaching on justice in relation to current questions surrounding biotechnology must address itself to intellectual property rights" (p. 45).

He presents the Catholic teaching on property rights citing Pope John Paul II referring to a "social mortgage" on all property, that is, it is not without limits. Property rights come with social responsibility. The Pope writes, ''we face a serious problem of unequal distribution of the means of subsistence originally meant for everybody, and thus unequal distribution of the benefits derivied from them" (p. 60 last part). The approved text reads "unequal distribution of the benefits (Solicitude Rei Secialis, no. 9).

In the chapter dealing with property rights in technology, Perry examines the patenting process and its criteria. He refers to seed piracy, which reminds Canadians of the case of Monsanto vs Percy Schmeiser, a Saskatchewan farmer. He also refers to the practice of inserting terminator genes into GMOs so that seeds harvested can not be used to grow a second crop.

Dealing with the risks of GMOs, Perry gives a good overview of bio-technology, supported by many source references. Perry writes, "I will make the claim that the foreseen benefits of genetic engineering outweigh the known risks." He addresses three issues central to the GMO debate: public opinion, labelling, and testing. He writes, "Labelling of GMOs is an ethical necessity" (p. 133). He also cites with approval the Precautionary Principle; to wit, "It is better to err on the side of protecting human and environmental safety than to err on the side of the risks" (p. 97).

To decide on the proper response to the risks, Perry proposes the 16th century moral theory of probabilism. He writes: "Within the context of real and potential risks involved with gene splicing there is "a certitude arising from probabilities, that, as time passes, the process itself can be deemed safe."

The most thought-provoking section of the book is chapter 4 dealing with transgenic modification and the Eucharist. It is primarily intended for and can be best appreciated by theologians. He leans heavily on David Tracy's book The Analogical Imagination. According to Tracy there are two quite distinct languages in Western Christian thought. He calls the Roman Catholic language "analogical" and says that it is "a language of ordered relationships articulating similarity-in-difference."

There is another competing language preferred by Martin Luther, Karl Barth, and Rudolph Bultmann, which is "dialectical language." This explains why the Vatican position on GMOs differs from that of the World Council of Churches. Perry writes, "Whereas the Vatican's methodology to date has been one to be prepared to react to any evidence of risks, the WCC anticipates serious problems and urges care and caution now" (p. 103). A short review can't do justice to the complexities involved and expressed. This book is very well titled because it provides much for the reader to ponder and digest.

This book deserves a wide audience. If its message is understood and heeded, it will do much to ensure that GMOs are encouraged and used to build a world of justice and peace.