Making Sense of Man: Using Biblical Perspectives to Develop a Theology of Humanity

by Vern Sheridan Poythress

Poythress uses multiple biblical perspectives to address the origin of humanity, the image of God, body and soul, the creational covenant, free agency, human sexuality, and other truths about humanity.

Endorsements“I find this the most stimulating and incisive contribution that Poythress has made. Even where I might disagree with him, there is much that informs and challenges. Poythress’s expertise in science and mathematics, combined with his vast knowledge, theological acumen, and linguistic and exegetical skill, makes this a book that cannot be missed.”

—Robert Letham, Senior Research Fellow, Union School of Theology; Associate Professor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Senior Fellow, Newton House, Oxford; Fellow in History and Theology, Greystone Theological Institute, Pittsburgh

“Vern Poythress is one of the most important theological voices of our time, and in this book, Dr. Poythress confronts one of the great intellectual and apologetic challenges of our age—the development of a faithful theology of humanity. The apocalyptic warnings of the twentieth century have turned into the very real threats to human dignity that we face in our own times. Christians need the conviction and scholarship that Dr. Poythress brings to this book. One of the most important aspects of this volume is the author’s willingness to take on so many of the most vexing questions of our age, and to respond very clearly with biblical truth.”

—R. Albert Mohler Jr., President and Centennial Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The biblical and Christian theology of humanity has become a focal point of controversy in the academy and the public square in recent decades. Questions of human identity, sexuality, and purpose are often disputed, but biblical understanding and wisdom regarding them are increasingly rare. Within this setting, Poythress’s latest book is a timely and welcome contribution. Poyth-ress provides a comprehensive, provocative exposition of a rich diversity of biblical themes concerning the nature and destiny of humanity within the triune God’s purposes in creation and redemption. Throughout the book, Poythress exhibits a rare combination of careful exegesis, methodological transparency, philosophical acumen, and pastoral sensitivity. His treatment of two important topics, the image of God and human freedom, offer especially constructive contributions to long-standing debates.”

—Cornelis P. Venema, President, Professor of Doctrinal Studies, Mid-America Reformed Seminary

“Building on a remarkable pyramid of his own publications, Dr. Poythress brings to the reader the wisdom of decades of studies across a wide range of issues related to Christian anthropology. Few deny that the great questions for most people today are ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What does it mean to be human?’ Poythress makes no apologies for placing the Bible and the triune God as central and essential in this full-sweeping panorama of Making Sense of Man. Sometimes accessible and stimulatingly simple, Dr. Poythress’s book at other times takes us deep, weighing complex issues and challenging us with concepts such as lex Christi. With its related theologies of theology proper, hamartiology, and soteriology, the work stands as a majestic, in-depth exposition of the Christian doctrine of humanity—this for Reformed and non-Reformed alike.”

—J. Scott Horrell, Senior Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies, Adjunct, Dallas Theological Seminary

Genres: Theology, Anthropology

784 pages, Hardcover

Published November 13, 2024

About the author

Vern Sheridan Poythress was born in 1946 in Madera, California, where he lived with his parents Ransom H. Poythress and Carola N. Poythress and his older brother Kenneth R. Poythress. After teaching mathematics for a year at Fresno State College (now California State University at Fresno), he became a student at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he earned an M.Div. (1974) and a Th.M. in apologetics (1974). He received an M.Litt. in New Testament from University of Cambridge (1977) and a Th.D. in New Testament from the University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa (1981).

He has been teaching in New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia since 1976. In 1981 he was ordained as a teaching elder in the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod, which has now merged with the Presbyterian Church in America.

More information about his teaching at Westminster can be found at the Westminster Seminary website.

Dr. Poythress studied linguistics and Bible translation at the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Norman Oklahoma in 1971 and 1972, and taught linguistics at the Summer Institute of Linguistics in the summers of 1974, 1975, and 1977. He has published books on Christian philosophy of science, theological method, dispensationalism, biblical law, hermeneutics, Bible translation, and Revelation. A list of publications is found on this website.

Dr. Poythress married his wife Diane in 1983, and they have two children, Ransom and Justin. He has side interests in science fiction, string figures, volleyball, and computers.

The family lived on a farm until he was five years old. When he was nine years old he made a public commitment to Christ and was baptized in Chowchilla First Baptist Church, Chowchilla, California. The family later moved to Fresno, California, and he graduated from Bullard High School in Fresno.

He earned a B.S. in mathematics from California Institute of Technology (1966) and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University (1970).

Reviews

[BJ Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vern S. Poythress, a scholar in systematic theology and biblical interpretation, has delivered an exhaustively researched and clearly articulated exposition of the doctrine of man from a Reformed perspective in Making Sense of Man. The book is an academic heavyweight, thoroughly dissecting the biblical perspective on human identity—covering everything from the interpretation of Genesis 1–3 to our pre-fall condition and the nature of sin after the Fall. He even includes appendices discussing the doctrine of man in the Westminster Standards, which, if you're like me, you'll consult more than your GPS on a road trip. Poythress's strength lies in his willingness to engage directly with fellow thinkers like Barth, Berkouwer, and Edwards, thoughtfully pointing out where their commendable efforts might slightly over-inflate one aspect of a doctrine, such as the Image of God, at the expense of its overall richness. After all, if the Bible is "far richer than we give it credit for," as he argues, then we shouldn't flatten its teaching by oversimplifying. Kind of like British cousine. While they are thinking, why mess with perfection by adding flavor, the rest of us are thinking, cooking should be a wee bit more complicated than that. Am I right?

One of the most valuable aspects of this tome is Poythress's use of frameworks and analogies to untangle complex concepts. He employs Pike's three perspectives of particle, wave, and field to view the human condition, refusing to prioritize ontological, functional, or relational aspects, but rather seeing them as different lenses on the same phenomenon. However, the true greatest strength is his application of the Lex Christi (Law of Christ) framework. Built on an analogical understanding of the Ten Commandments, this tool consistently ties every aspect of humanity back to God's attributes, showing how we, as creatures, reflect the Creator and share in Christ's reign. This framework proves its worth by demonstrating that key terms like "image of God," "spirit," and "soul" are often best understood as ordinary speech with a wide range of meaning, rather than rigid technical terms that tempt theologians toward reductionism. It's a reminder that sometimes the simplest questions are the ones that save us from the most complex errors.

Poythress puts these tools into practice when discussing topics like the intermediate state (what happens after we die), navigating the difficulties of technical language while remaining personally encouraging. He doesn't shy away from controversial areas like human sexuality and free agency, upholding biblical realities with sound and sophisticated arguments. By applying his methodological tools: presuppositions, semantics, analogies, and metaphysical frameworks, Poythress provides a defense of key doctrines, including the indistinguishability of spirit and soul and a multifaceted understanding of sin that resists "At root, sin is really X" oversimplification. This book is an essential reference work for any serious student of theology. It's not a light read. You won't finish it in a coffee shop unless you're ordering a refill every hour, which I absolutely, definitely do not do way too often. (Every Saturday isn't too often, right?) But it's the anchor you need to tie your understanding of yourself to the Lordship of Christ and the richness of Scripture.

[Kevin Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vern Poythress is a deep, clear thinker. I really appreciate how approach to multiperspectivalism that is able to use differing perspectives to create a richer understanding of reality.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who are we, and why do we matter? In Making Sense of Man, Vern S. Poythress offers biblical perspectives to develop a theology of humanity.


The Image of God

This book is a comprehensive tome on human nature. It is an academic read, enriching for anyone who has begun to study the Bible seriously. Pastors and scholars will also benefit from its rich explorations of systematic and biblical theology.

The book begins by examining various topics related to humanity in Genesis 1-3, including the origin of humanity, its original condition, and the nature of human beings. The first section culminates in a deep dive into the significant topic of the image of God. Interestingly, Poythress concludes this section by turning to Acts 2, where the church is seen as a people who reflect or “image” God. He connects what happens at Pentecost to the broader theme of the image of God.


Lex Christi

I was particularly moved in Part 2, where Poythress presents The Framework of Lex Christi (The Law of Christ), developed by Timothy P. Yates. This framework begins with the principle that God’s character is revealed in His law—specifically in the Ten Commandments. When humans obey God’s law, we display His attributes. Looking at Christ, we see the perfect embodiment of the law, along with the harmony between His divine and human nature. Christ’s life and teachings exemplify how we are to live the Christian life, all to the glory of God.

Part 4 tackles the complex subjects of body and soul. Poythress builds a compelling case for the dichotomy of body and soul, showing how humans have both an inner and outer nature. He concludes that proper biblical interpretation reveals that the concept of trichotomy (body, soul, and spirit) has no solid biblical foundation.


Our Brilliant Creator

Parts 5 and 6 cover the pre-fall covenant with Adam and aspects of covenantal life, including human sexuality. Poythress firmly upholds the biological realities of sex and procreation while advocating for harmony between men and women.

The book concludes with an exploration of fallen man, addressing the nature of the fall, sin, total depravity, and total inability. Comprehensive and careful, stimulating and Scriptural, Making Sense of Man is an extraordinary work that illuminates both the beauty of humanity and the brilliance of our Creator.

I received a media copy of Making Sense of Man and this is my honest review.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poythress offers a sound, clear articulation of the doctrine of man. In the main, as the reviewer noted, this is a standard Reformed treatment of the same. What makes it stand out, in my opinion, is how he uses the 'law of Christ,' which draws out the implications of the Decalogue, for the doctrine of man. Despite the fact that one reviewer complains that doesn't add anything that is that brilliant or knew, Poythress's intent with all of his writings is not to add the academia, so to speak, but to build up the church. While this used to bother me in the past, I have come to appreciate works like these that write clearly and cogently about a vastly important topic. Given what it is, not an advanced theological construction of the doctrine of man but really more of a primer, I would recommend this to anyone desiring to grow in their understanding this topic, while also recognizing that Poythress displays an awareness of the literature and thus serves as a clear guide through the complex waters that can often attend this subject.

[Noah Lykins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems like Polythress is a brilliant gentleman, this book is not particularly brilliant.

Lex Christi framework - really appreciated this. Good attention to semantics, metaphysics, analogies, referring back to Acts ch. 2, key terms/study questions/further reading/prayer at the end of each chapter. Accessible work, filled with truth.

But I am not sure why this book exists - it restates the standard reformed theological anthropology without anything particularly unique or new in approach. There weren’t glaring ideas I disagreed with. Nevertheless the book still felt unfinished / incomplete. And so much other work covers this topic better.

If you’ve already read a quality systematic and have been able to sit in on biblical teaching for a while, this is a read you can probably skip.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Poythress' work is always thought-provoking, creative, and yet biblically faithful. This book is no exception. In the end, Poythress argues for a classic Reformed view of the doctrine of man - yet the value in the book is the depth added to the discussion by reading it worked out in the mind of this polymath. It's possible to get lost in the triads and perspectives, but for the reader who perseveres there is great payoff.