CHRISTIAN ANTROPOLOGY Adam created in the likeness of God.

CHRISTIAN ANTROPOLOGY Adam created in the likeness of God

Protagoras confidently claimed that "man is the measure of all things." "man is the measure of all things." Reinhold Niebuhr assessed in his work, Nature and Destiny of Man, said "man has always been his own most vexing problem."'Who are we; What is our purpose here; what is life about ? [Reinhold Niebuhr, The Nature and Destiny of Man (New York: Scribner's Sons, 1964), I, p. 1.]

Who is this creature who struggles constantly to understand himself, who stands in the midst of myriads of triumphs in medicine, engineering ascience with such things like splitting the atom and yet is afraid of his own shadow, as it were, because he is reluctant to peer within himself?

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS Idealistic (Hume, Kant, Jefferson, Emerson, Whitehead, Dewey) maintain faith the light of reason which will in time enable man to emerge from the innocence of nature to a fuller, more mature knowledge, understanding, and virtue. The concept of sin has no place in this thinking, except perhaps as a kind of negative inertia. Evolutionary (Huxley, Teilhard de Chardin, and the host of evolutionists) views man as a more highly developed animal. Infinite progress in the future is man's hope. Increase of knowledge will enable him, as the most highly cultured animal, to effect increasing harmonization of the now seemingly hostile forces around him.

A-moralistic naturalism admits nothing like sin, recognizing only that man is influenced and shaped by forces within (heredity) and without (nature), over which he needs to triumph. Romanticism represents a reaction against rationalism. In the vein of Whitman, it is highly ego-centric. Man is sinless, something divine. Evil is a minus quality, a mere negation, an unreality. Man is inherently good and needs only to let the power of good come to expression through his own inner mystical resources.

Modern psychology pictures man as caught up in his efforts to try to deal with his predicaments through various mechanisms: withdrawal, activism, or placebos of various kinds by which to tranquilize his fears. Freud's answer was to rid the self of repression, to deny guilt feelings. Others, like Jung and later contemporaries, urge man's need for confession, to "let it all out," for truth's sake, not for the sake of forgiveness, unless it be forgiving oneself in a kind of self-justification. Existentialism (Sartre, for example, rather than Kierkegaard) paints a gloomy picture for man, holding out no hope really, other than that of using his freedom to act. For Sarte hell is other people and he rejects a God that spies on him; Camus finds meaning in life through rebellion not accepting the status quo but challenging it; Unamuno gains meaning in commitment and Marcel through unconditional relationships..

Marxist socialism preaches that man is not inherently evil. The only evil is estrangement from nature, self, or others. The sources of this alienation is especially money, with its corrupting greed impulse, and self-aggrandizement through the accumulation of wealth. The goal for man is the non-acquisitive life in which workers, so goes the Marxist theory, enjoy work again, gain control over nature, and disclaim all class distinctions, political competition, and strife. Each worker seeks the good of the state according to the Marxist "gospel."

The view of Literature Literature is a good way of evaluating how people see who they are and their role in the world. A writer takes a slice through society and exposes a cross section of humanity with their insight into the psyche of individuals. The classic novel reveal much about the human psyche. Shakespeare one of the great writers observerd that we all have a fatal flaw an imperfection that is our downfall. Many other writers have espoused in their works. A notable author is Graham Green whose classic is the whiskey priest in the Power and The Glory.

THE BIBLICAL VIEW Revelations about God and humanity

If we ask the Bible the question of what is a human being, the answer comes through loud and clear. Both testaments, Old and New, key in on God, He is the first consideration not man. The person is the secondary concern of Scripture's revelation; God is first and primary. Thus Holy Scripture, the inspired Word of God, focuses attention on man vis-a -vis God. There is no puzzle here about human nature and meaning. The human is the background and foil against which we see God's creation, plan, activity. God, the source of life, is wondrously concerned about humans and their relationship to the Creator. Walther Eichrodt, " History is a movement effected by God, which challenges man and gives him his destiny and his task." [Walter Eichrodt, Man in the Old Testament (Chicago: Henry Regner, 1951), p. 27.]

God's concern for the human is present from the beginning and continues after the fall and this care and concern for us climaxes with the Incarnation. "Adam, where art thou?" sounds the voice of God in the garden (Gen. 3:9). "Where is Abel thy brother?" God asks the angered murderer Cain, who had spilled his brother's blood (Gen. 4:9). "Where wast thou when I laid the foundation of the earth?" is God's question out of the whirlwind to Job (38:4). "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" A Psalm in praise of God's all-seeing providence (Ps. 139:7). "Where? "and "Whither?" echo again and again through Holy Scripture.

So we have scripture to provide the map to answering those perennial questions that have plagued the generations. The map starts and ends with God - all of creation revolves around the Creating, Redeeming God and our answers stem from our relation with this God. But man's greatness and his Angst stem from God's intentions and vigilance concerning humanity, from the persons accountability before God, and not vice versa. This is a vital point. We have the road map but it has not helped. Why? As Voltaire testified God created man and man repaid the compliment. Because we continually make God in our image we negate the road map of scripture and feel that God is accountable to us.

In the secular world humans ask about themselves. The reference point is themselves. In the Bible the reference point of who we are is made in reference to the Ceating, Redeeming God The answer to the question of who he is, or what he is, is not in what the human thinks or knows about himself, but in what he is in relation to God. Self-understanding is thus embraced in the understanding of God, God's intent and purpose for the person. Though of lowly origin, dust and clay (Gen. 2:7; Job 4: 19), and, despite the fall, the person is still the most elevated part of God's creation, fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139: 14- 18) in the image and likeness of his Creator, with dominion over the created realm (Gen. 1:26,27; Ps. 82:6). How different is this view from person-oriented anthropocentric investigations. It is a paradox that we increases in knowledge of and power over nature, yet advance not an inch in knowledge of self.

Whence humanity The question of our origin is answered by the Bible on its very first pages, though not exclusively there. What then is a human being? A human being is one who is created out of clay (Gen 2:7) and that clay is animated by the breath of God breathe into it; a composite of clay and Gods life. How could the gift of life be more powerfully taught? Physically tied to the ground or to matter around him, by the creative power of God we become living, beautiful persons who throbs with the life of God (Ps.139: 13- 16). Biologically like the animals, psychologically or personally like the God who made us, humanity stands in a unique place between the Creator and in the created realm. A sharp line is drawn between his coming into being and that of all other animal life. The human is not just one in the multitude of animal forms, but a very special creation. The animals were created in groups; not so Adam. The creation of humans in the image of God was a special, distinct act.

Humans were made to commune with God. Our whole nature, is different from the other creatures because we were made for communication. The animals have various attributes but only the person is equipped to be a communicating being, with soul and mind, and not just brain and body. Woman ( another special creation) was placed at Adams side by God as a helpmeet, with whom he might communicate; and both were made for communion with their Creator in a manner totally unique among all creatures. Even after the fall God still has graciously revealed Himself to humans.

Other unique features of humanity is the ability to Other unique features of humanity is the ability to Reflect, Communicate meaningfully and laugh Of all creation only the human can laugh a truly unique human quality. Our ability for meaningful co-operation makes for a garrulous life of co-operation and collaboration. We are made for group living which communes with God to achieve his purpose.

What above all else makes us special? We are spiritual Beings; we possess the breath of God which in the Hebrew mind means the life of god himself. We are not just empirical organic animals but spiritual beings with the ability to do what God does in a limited way; we can love, be conscious, be creative, appreciate and create art, music etc. We truly are a special species of creation

WE ARE SOMA-PNEUMENA A BODY/SPIRIT FUSED INTO ONE ENTITY Thus, man's body is no mere "prison house of the soul," as the Greeks taught, and as dualistic philosophy, within or outside of Christian theology, has held. Body and soul (or spirit) are we; both are vitally tied to his person. Yet each is distinct, with its own properties; so while it is within the property of the body to be mortal, it is not the property of the soul to die; the soul detaches from the body at death and enters eternity. We were intended by God to be a holy, spiritual creature with perception and understanding, fit for rule over this created realm, a noble creature, whose body throbbed not only with life but with a living soul, or spirit, capable of fulfilling every function as God's trusted steward over the created realm.

Thats all folks

CHRISTIAN ANTROPOLOGY Adam created in the likeness of God.

Documents

destiny of man new york

modern psychology pictures

innocence of nature

reinhold niebuhr

nonacquisitive life

various mechanisms

likeness of god

self of repression