What does it mean to be human and to be made in the image of God? What is a human being? Theologians have always been interested in the key issues surrounding the nature of the human person. Christian thinkers have always tried to answer anthropological questions: the body-soul relationship, gender, free will, the purpose of human life, and the relationship of the human person to the rest of creation.
This reader guides the students through this difficult topic and the seven chapters each represent an in-depth treatment of a sub-topic within theological anthropology. The book starts with an overview and specific methods for this subject and the overall discussion starts with the exegetical-theological problem of the imago dei. The following chapters offer examination of topics such as:
. human ontology
. freedom & limit
. gender & sexuality
. personhood & identity
. worship & desire
Within each topic, the editors include texts from the patristic, medieval, Reformation and modern eras and also provide a blend of bible commentary, theological discourse and philosophy. The texts used for this study include thinkers such as Gregory of Nyssa, Kathryn Tanner, Karl Barth, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Paul II, Sarah Coakley and David Kelsey, to name just a few. Each chapter contains an introduction, research/discussion questions and suggestions for further reading.
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