Arnim Polster's Lutheran Case Against Abortion

Abstract

Before Roe v. Wade, Lutheran lawyer-turned-pastor Arnim Polster was one of the foremost critics of liberalized abortion laws, even testifying on the subject before the California Assembly. While his story is mostly forgotten today, despite its resonance—Polster himself was a polio survivor, and a defender of the rights of the disabled—Polster's argumentative method is of particular interest. His developed case against abortion hinged on the objective question of when life begins, and reflected a somewhat sophisticated theory of persuasion that he had articulated years before in the context of his seminary training. As such, Polster's argument against abortion took a distinctly Lutheran form, and represents an untapped resource for contemporary debates.