this volume captures a unique exchange between paul ramsey and his most prominent colleagues. in one sense it remains a festschrift in his honor, characterized, at times, by a markedly informal tone. yet, in the spirit of both the analytical rigor and the self-exposure that marked ramseys career, this volume is not simply a tribute to ramseys lifework but rather a vehicle for intense conversation and argument about issues of human birth, life, suffering, and death. the editors see it as a state of the art discussion that brings the best insights from judeo-christian thought into contact with wider and more public arenas of medical ethics. of course, such a collection as this grants ramsey the permission to have the last word. but this final word is entrusted to a mature and remarkably open mind, still sharpening its critical skills and risking exposure to new issues and voices.