Introduction to Theological Anthropology, An: Humans, Both Creaturely and Divine

Theological anthropology is a topic of perennial interest among evangelical theologians and other scholars of religion. Although numerous introductions are available, the vast majority presuppose a nonbiblical worldview and require a familiarity with philosophy and theology. This volume fills a gap in the literature by offering a thorough introduction to the topic written from an evangelical perspective. It introduces foundational sources of knowledge on human persons from the scriptural narrative and church history while drawing from contemporary evangelical models.

Motived by ancient and Reformed reflections on human nature, Joshua Farris walks the reader through some of the most important issues in traditional approaches to anthropology, such as sexuality, posthumanism, and the image of God. He addresses fundamental questions like, What does it mean to be human? Who am I? and Why do I exist? He also considers the creaturely and divine nature of humans, the body-soul relationship, and the beatific vision. Farris concludes that humans are souls and bodies and are designed to experience the presence of God. They are appropriately understood in their creaturely context as divine image bearers, yet their goal is union with God.

336 pages.

Contents
Foreword by Marc Cortez
Preface: Humans--Creaturely and Divine
Introduction: Where Do We Begin? Humans, Prolegomena, and Method
1. What Am I? Creaturely and Redemptive Identity
2. What Am I and Where Did I Originate? Are We Apes, Humans, or Gods?
3. What Am I in Relation to God? The Image as Creaturely and Divine
4. What Does It Mean to Be Free? Freedom as Creaturely and Divine
5. Who Am I at Birth? Original Sin and Creaturely Failure
6. Who Am I in Christ? Humans, Descended and Ascended
7. Who Are We in Culture? Creaturely and Divine in Work, Race, and Disability
8. Who Are We as Male and Female? Humans as Gendered and Sexual
9. Why Am I Here? Creaturely Living, Dying, and the In-Between
10. Why Do I Exist? Creaturely Process and Divine Destiny
Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here?
Appendix: Philosophy and Theology in Anthropology: A Review of Recent Literature
Suggested Readings
Indexes