Description
Scitus Academics LLC The Companion to Theological Anthropology by Nizhoni Doubek
Theological anthropology – a study of the human person in conversation
with the doctrinal framework of particular religious traditions – is by no
means a new discipline. Theological anthropology is a part of theology
dealing with the Christian understanding of human beings. It is a modern
invention, resulting from the coming together of two former treatises
present in traditional theological curricula: humans as created beings and
original sin, and the meaning and influence of grace. Anthropology
concerns itself with understanding human experience. Theology is allied
with God. God and humanity―should not the two be left in quite separate
compartments? Some would wish to leave ‘God’ in a remote ‘ivory tower’.
They want to get on with the business of human life without having to be
bothered with a ‘God’ who is, for them, a complete irrelevance. Others pride
themselves on their theological orthodoxy while showing slight interest in
getting to grips with the many―sided difficulties of human experience.
There is a real prerequisite for an anthropology, which adopts a typically
theological point of view. Understanding human experience―this is not
something which theologians can safely leave to others. It is extremely
significant for everyone. The new synthesis follows the “anthropological
turn” that took place at the end of the nineteenth century and emphasizes
the central role of human beings in the understanding of religious faith. All
the formerly scattered treatises concerning the person have been brought
together in an attempt to signify the centrality that is now attributed to
humans and their role in the religious process, which was previously
excessively focused on the reality of God or the “objective religious
dimension.”There has been a great deal of consideration about the meaning
of these verses of Genesis, both within biblical studies and more widely in
theological discussion.
The Companion to Theological Anthropology intends to explore the range
of meanings particularly of the idea of humanity being created in the image
of God, considering other aspects of the passage as they are important. The
aim of the Book is to provide the theological foundations on which further
discussion needs to be built. It explores the challenges to and opportunities
for rethinking current religious views of humankind in contemporary
Western culture.