Konsep Tubuh dalam Tradisi Islam dan Kristen: Meninjau Ulang Konsep Self-Ownership Sekular dalam Bioetika Modern

Abstract

The dominance of the self-ownership paradigm in contemporary bioethics has positioned the human body as an object of individual ownership governed primarily by the principles of autonomy and consent. This paradigm tends to reduce the body to a private entity, overlooking the relational, social, and theological dimensions inherent in human existence. Previous studies in religious bioethics have generally examined the concept of the body in Islamic and Christian traditions separately, or have focused on specific practical issues such as organ transplantation and assisted reproduction, without providing a comparative analysis that critically addresses the philosophical foundations of the self-ownership paradigm. This article aims to fill that gap through a comparative analysis of Islamic and Christian traditions in understanding the ontological and moral status of the human body. The study employs a normative-theological approach by examining relevant sources from both religious traditions as well as modern bioethical discourse. The central argument advanced is that both Islam and Christianity reject the notion of absolute self-ownership. In Islam, the body is understood as an amanah (trust) situated within the framework of divine law and the objectives of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, while in the Christian tradition, the body is grounded in the concepts of imago Dei, incarnation, and stewardship. Both traditions regard the body as a sacred reality that cannot be reduced to private property and affirm that human authority over the body is inherently limited and bound by transcendent moral responsibility. The self-ownership paradigm contains both conceptual and normative problems, particularly in its tendency to commodify the body and weaken deeper ethical considerations. By proposing a shift from ownership toward entrustment, this article offers a more comprehensive framework for the development of contemporary bioethics, particularly in responding to issues such as organ transplantation, assisted reproduction, and the commercialization of the human body.