Ensoulment

Ensoulment refers to the creation of a soul within a human being or other creature. It is discussed most often in reference to abortion, because many religious denominations consider the presence of a soul to be what makes abortion, infanticide and murder all equally wrong.

The Bible is usually cited as clearly stating that ensoulment occurs at conception, but it is in fact very unclear. Three commonly cited verses are:

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother's womb." (Luke 1:15)

"But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace..." (Galatians 1:15)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)

These verses make it clear that for the individuals described in each situation, ensoulment, or some similar act, did indeed occur in utero. There is no line, however, that states that such an act occurs for regular people not specially identified and set apart by God.

Also pertinent to the issue is the Bible's use of the metaphor "breath of life," implying that life beings with the first breath. In reference to Adam (Genesis 2:7): "Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Again, there is no clear indication as to whether this applies to subsequent newborns created in utero or whether breath, life, and ensoulment all occur simultaneously.

Through much of Christian history, ensoulment was thought to occur long after conception – some 40 to 90 days after, depending on the gender of the fetus. Abortion was not approved of, but neither was it considered murder, provided it took place before ensoulment.