On Being Human: Essays in Theological Anthropology

by Ray S. Anderson

What does it mean to be human? How does a right understanding of personhood affect decisions on critical life situations? What implications does a biblical perspective on personhood have for the pastoral ministry of healing and hope? In answering these questions, Ray S. Anderson focused on the person as determined by and sustained by the creative power of God. He explored the the implications of a biblical understanding of personhood for such critical issues as human sexuality, family relationships, abortion, and death. He broke new ground in relating pastoral care and counseling to contemporary issues which challenge Christians and their understanding of the meaning of human life.

Genres: Theology, Anthropology

Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

aka Ray Sherman Anderson

Ray S. Anderson (Ph.D., University of Edinburgh) was senior professor of theology and ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he had taught since 1976. He was also a contributing editor to Journal of Psychology and Theology.

He wrote many books, including Judas and Jesus: Amazing Grace for the Wounded Soul (2004), The Soul of God: A Theological Memoir (2004), Spiritual Caregiving as Secular Sacrament: A Practical Theology for Professional Caregivers (2003), Dancing with Wolves While Feeding the Sheep (2002), The New Age of Soul: Spiritual Wisdom for a New Millennium (2001), The Shape of Practical Theology: Empowering Ministry with Theological Praxis (2001), Living the Spiritually Balanced Life (1998) and The Soul of Ministry: Forming Leaders for God's People (1997). Anderson's articles and book reviews have been published in a wide array of scholarly and popular periodicals.

Reviews

[Amber Thiessen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my seminary class on the theology of the human person. It's presents a theological anthropology of personhood, I found it both hopeful and challenging. Definitely higher on the difficulty scale of reading, though, lots of theological terms and concepts.

[Kirsten Kroeker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Required reading for a course I'm in, and I'm not a fan.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a challenging read that I put down several times and then picked up again. The last chapters—A Theological Paradigm for Authentic Personhood, A Liturgical Paradigm for Authentic Personhood, and A Theological Perspective on the Cure of Souls—were rich and meaningful for me.