Michael J. Sleasman

Director of Bioethics Programs, Associate Professor of Bioethics

Prior to joining the Trinity faculty full-time, Dr. Sleasman served as the managing director and research scholar at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity for 12 years where he oversaw the Center’s research agenda and online resource development. He also previously served as an affiliate professor, adjunct instructor, and online course tutor at the college and graduate level in the areas of philosophy, theology, ethics, and cultural engagement. His areas of research specialization include the theological engagement of bioethical issues with particular emphasis on biotechnology, other emerging technologies, and human futures, as well as the intersection of technology, ethics, and culture in general.

Dr. Sleasman is the editor of Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics, published by Trinity International University, and serves on the Board of Reference for the Christian Institute on Disability for Joni & Friends and as a consulting editor for the Journal of the Christian Institute on Disability. He has been interviewed on a range of bioethical issues by print and radio media and has delivered workshops, lectures, and presentations for churches, universities, and at several professional societies. He and his wife, Cindy, have three children.

Education

Affiliations & Achievements

Publications

Editor, Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics, published by Trinity International University

Co-editor with Kevin Vanhoozer and Charles Anderson, Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends (Baker Academic, 2007).

“Post-Conservative Theology” and “New Technologies and Christianity,” in the Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization, edited by George Kurian (Blackwell, 2011).

“Bioethics Past, Present, and Future: Important Sign Posts in Human Dignity,” in Beyond Suffering Study Guide, edited by Joni Eareckson Tada, Steve Bundy, and Pat Verbal (Joni & Friends, 2011).

Co-authored with Paige Comstock Cunningham, “Exploitation in the Global Medical Enterprise: Bioethics & Social Injustice,” in Social Injustice: What Evangelicals Need to Know about the World, edited by Michael Cooper and William Moulder (Timothy Center, 2011).

“Nanotechnology” and “Robots,” in the Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics, edited by Henk ten Have (Springer, 2016).

“Bioethics,” in The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Daniel Treier and Walter Elwell (Baker Academic, 2017)

“Ethics in the Era of Precision Medicine,” in Principles and Applications of Engineering in Medicine, edited by Lawrence Chan and William Tang (CRC Press, 2019).

Study with Dr. Sleasman


Master's

Bioethics

36 CREDITS | 1.5 YEARS

ABOUT

Delve into some of the most complex ethical questions facing medicine, science, and public policy. At TEDS, you’ll not only study bioethics from a rigorous academic perspective but also explore how Christian values and ethics inform and influence the field. We’ll give you the framework and tools to understand and navigate these issues with clarity and compassion.

COURSEWORK

Featured Courses

  • Christian Hippocratism
  • Ethical Theory
  • Theological Bioethics and Contemporary Alternatives
  • Life and Death Bioethics
  • Biotechnology and Emerging Technology Ethics
Certificate

Hippocratic Healthcare Ethics

21 CREDITS | 1 YEAR

ABOUT

Through this certificate you’ll evaluate current ethical issues in healthcare, examine the different approaches to bioethics throughout history, and be prepared to engage bioethics challenges within healthcare and contemporary medicine—all from a distinctly Christian perspective.

COURSEWORK

Featured Courses

  • Bioethics and Cultural Engagement
  • Christian Hippocratism
  • Introduction to Bioethics: Foundations and Methods
  • Life and Death Bioethics
  • Biotechnology and Emerging Technology Ethics
  • Research Ethics
Certificate

Pro-Life Advocacy and Engagement

12 CREDITS | 1 YEAR

ABOUT

Understand the emerging bioethics and legal issues related to pro-life advocacy, discern the different approaches to bioethics throughout history, and be equipped to address challenges within emerging pro-life issues from a distinctly Christian perspective. This certificate will further equip professionals working at pro-life advocacy and non-profit organizations and those working in pregnancy centers.

COURSEWORK

Featured Courses

  • Introduction to Bioethics: Foundations and Methods
  • Bioethics and Cultural Engagement
  • Life and Death Bioethics
  • The Right to Life and the Law
  • The Public Policy Context
  • Christian Hippocratism
  • Bioethics and Emerging Technology Ethics