Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Develop a Christian theological understanding of human nature

• Discuss various views on the issues that arise when one engages in a biblical and theological exploration of the nature of human existence

• Describe the Christian view of human existence in the context of the history of Western thought

• Explain the practical implications of a Christian theological understanding of human persons for one’s own spiritual growth

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and Course

Unit 1: Introducing Theological Anthropology

• The Question of Humanity

• What Is Anthropology and What Makes It Theological?

• The Contemporary Challenge of Theological Anthropology

Unit 2: Doing Theological Anthropology

• The Contribution of Theological Anthropology

• Theological Anthropology and the Bible

• The Uniqueness of the Human Person: The Uniqueness of the Human Person

• The Uniqueness of the Human Person: The Uniqueness of Humanity in Genesis 1–2

• The Uniqueness of the Human Person: The Creatureliness of Humanity in Modern Science

• The Uniqueness of the Human Person: The Uniqueness of Humanity in Modern Science

• A Christological Approach to Theological Anthropology

Unit 3: A Brief History of Theological Anthropology

• Early Reflections on the Image of God in the Early Church

• Humanity and the Rest of Creation in the Early Church

• Body, Soul, and Spirit in the Early Church: Importance of the Body

• Body, Soul, and Spirit in the Early Church: Importance of the Soul

• Sin and Redemption in the Early Church

• Theological Anthropology in the Medieval Church

• The Image of God in the Reformation

• Theological Anthropology in the Modern Era: The Rise of Modern Science and Biblical Authority

• Theological Anthropology in the Modern Era: New Issues

Unit 4: Humanity and the Gospel

• Shalom and God’s Plan for Creation—The Main Character: God

• Shalom and God’s Plan for Creation—The Focus: Glory

• Shalom and God’s Plan for Creation—The Means: Grace

• Shalom and God’s Plan for Creation—Location: Creation

• Shalom and God’s Plan for Creation—The Mode: People

• Shalom and Israel

• Shalom, Jesus, and the Church

Unit 5: The Image of God

• An Intro to the Image of God

• Areas of General Consensus and Debate

• The Biblical Data: The Image in the Old Testament

• The Biblical Data: The Image in the New Testament

• The Nature of the Structural Image and Arguments for and against the Structural Image

• The Nature of the Functional Image and Arguments for and against the Functional Image

• The Nature of the Relational Image and Arguments for and against the Relational Image

• The Nature of the Multifaceted Image and Arguments for and against the Multifaceted Image

• The Image as Representational Presence

• The Image as Personal Presence

• The Image as Covenantal Presence

• The Image of God in the Real World

Unit 6: Sin and the Human Person

• What Is Sin?

• How Does Sin Impact Theological Anthropology?

• Where Did Sin Come from? The “Cause” of Sin

• Where Did Sin Come from? The Historicity of the Fall

• Where Did Sin Come from? Our Connection to Adam

• How Depraved Are We?

Unit 7: Mind, Body, and Soul

• Introduction to Body/Soul

• Areas of Consensus

• The Biblical Language: Body, Flesh

• The Biblical Language: Soul, Spirit, Conclusions

• Definition of Substance Dualism

• Biblical Arguments for Substance Dualism

• Biblical Arguments against Substance Dualism

• Definition of Physicalism

• Biblical Arguments for Physicalism

• Biblical Arguments against Physicalism

• Trichotomy

• A Way Forward

• Implied Biblical Anthropology

Unit 8: Free Will

• The Nature of the Question

• Areas of General Consensus

• Key Questions in the Debate

• Compatibilist Free Will

• Hierarchical Compatibilism

• Kinds of Compatibilism: Reasons-Response

• Arguments against Compatibilist Free Will: The Consequence Argument

• Arguments against Compatibilist Free Will: Alternate Possibilities

• Arguments against Compatibilist Free Will: The Ownership Argument

• Introduction to Libertarian Free Will

• Kinds of Libertarianism

• Arguments against Libertarian Free Will: The Luck Argument

• Arguments against Libertarian Free Will: The Reasons-Response Argument

• Arguments against Libertarian Free Will: The Mystery Argument

• Arguments against Libertarian Free Will: The Foreknowledge Argument

• A Way Forward

Unit 9: Gender and Sexuality

• Introduction to Gender and Sexuality

• The Difficulty of the Question

• Defining Some Terms

• The Bible and Sexuality: Sexuality in Creation

• The Bible and Sexuality: Sexuality and the Fall, Church, Resurrection

• The Purpose of Sexuality: Sexuality as Procreation

• The Purpose of Sexuality: Sexuality as Marriage

• The Purpose of Sexuality: Sexuality as Relationality

• The Purpose of Sexuality: Sexuality as Bonding

• Bonding and Brokenness

• A Definition of and Arguments for Androgyny

• Criticisms of Androgyny

• A Definition of Gender Essentialism

• Arguments for Gender Essentialism

• Criticisms of Gender Essentialism

• A Definition of Gender Constructivism

• Arguments for Gender Constructivism

• Criticisms of Gender Constructivism

• No “Opposite” Sexes

• Appreciating Our Biological Givenness and the Power of Culture

• Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

Unit 10: Women in Ministry

• Introduction to Women in Ministry

• Before We Begin

• Complementarianism: Definition and Types

• Arguments for Complementarianism: Equality in Salvation, Distinctions in Creation

• Arguments for Complementarianism: Distinctions in Fall and Home

• Arguments for Complementarianism: Distinctions in Ministry, Church History

• Egalitarianism: Definition and Types

• Arguments for Egalitarianism: Equality in Christ and Creation

• Arguments for Egalitarianism: Equality in Gifting

• Arguments for Egalitarianism: Jesus and Paul on Women in Ministry

• Some Suggestions for a Productive Dialogue: Suggestions for Complementarians

• Some Suggestions for a Productive Dialogue: Suggestions for Egalitarians

Unit 11: Race and Culture

• Introduction to Race and Culture

• Biblical Perspectives on the One Human Race

• Scientific Perspectives on the One Human Race

• The Dangers of Emphasizing the One Human Race

• What Is Race?

• Where Did Race Come From? Theories of Race

• The History of Race in the Ancient World

• The History of Race in the Middle Ages

• History of Race in the Modern Period

• What Does the Bible Have to Say about “Race”?

• The Nature of Racism

• Responding to Racism

Conclusion

• Conclusion to the Course

Details

• Title: TH222 Theological Anthropology

• Instructor: Marc Cortez

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2018

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 14