Reforming Theological Anthropology: After the Philosophical Turn to Relationality

F. LeRon Shults

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Feb 20, 2003 - Religion - 264 pages

With the profound changes in today's intellectual and scientific landscape, traditional ways of speaking about human nature, sin, and the image of God have lost their explanatory power. In this volume F.LeRon Shults explores the challenges to and opportunities for rethinking current religious views of humankind in contemporary Western culture.

From philosophy to theology, from physics to psychology, we find a turn to the categories of "relationality." Shults briefly traces this history from Aristotle to Levinas, showing its impact on the Christian doctrine of anthropology, and he argues that the biblical understanding of humanity has much to contribute to today's dialogue on persons and on human becoming in relation to God and others. Shults's work stands as a potent effort to reform theological anthropology in a way that restores its relevance to contemporary interpretations of the world and our place in it.

Contents

• The Philosophical Turn to Relationality: 11
• Relationality from Aristotle to Kant: 12
• Relationality from Hegel to Levinas: 22
• The Responsibility of Theology: 33
• ANTHROPOLOGY THEOLOGY AND THE READER: 37
• Relationality and Developmental Psychology: 39
• Methodological Faith: 41
• Orders of Consciousness: 43
• Ways of Holding on to Interdisciplinary Method: 47
• Developing Fiduciary Structures: 51
• Relationality Transformed by the Spirit of Christ: 58
• Relationality and Pedagogical Practice: 61
• Repression Pedagogy and Transformation: 62
• The Four Dimensions of Human Existence: 65
• Transformational Learning in Psychological Perspective: 67
• Transformational Learning in Theological Perspective: 70
• Perfect Fear Casts Out Love: 75
• Relationality and Spiritual Transformation: 77
• Interdisciplinary Strategy: 78
• Spiritual Union with God?: 82
• The Need for a Mediator in the Transformation of Identity: 86
• Double Negation and Dialectical Identity: 88
• Fellowship in the Trinitarian Life: 92
• THEOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY AND RELATIONALITY: 95
• Anthropology and Theological Method Regulative Relationality in Schleiermacher: 97
• Reciprocal Relationality and the Pious SelfConsciousness: 99
• The Regulative Function of Reciprocal Relationality in Theological Anthropology: 105
• The Regulative Function of Reciprocal Relationality in All Religious Expressions: 108
• Conclusion: 115
• Anthropology and Trinity Constitutive Relationality in Barth and Pannenberg: 117
• The Methodological Shaping of Anthropology: 119
• Barths IThou Relationality: 124
• Pannenbergs Exocentric Relationality: 132
• Conclusion: 139
• Anthropology and Christology The AnhypostosisEnhypostasis Formula: 140
• Leontius of Byzantium: 143
• Anhypostasia and Enhypostasia in Protestant Scholasticism: 153
• The AnhypostasisEnhypostasis Formula in Bart h: 156
• REFORMING THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: 161
• Relationality and the Doctrine of Human Nature: 163
• Substance Dualism and Faculty Psychology: 165
• Challenges and Opportunities: 175
• Relationality and the Doctrine of Sin: 189
• The Western Theory of Inherited Sin: 191
• Challenges and Opportunities: 201
• Relationality and the Doctrine of Imago Dei: 217
• Classical Interpretations of the Image of God: 220
• Challenges and Opportunities: 230
• Bibliography: 243
• Index: 261

About the author

F. LeRon Shults is professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. His other books include Reforming the Doctrine of God and Christology and Science.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Reforming Theological Anthropology: After the Philosophical Turn to Relationality
• Author: F. LeRon Shults
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003
• ISBN: 0802848877, 9780802848871
• Length: 264 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Theology / Anthropology; Religion / Christian Theology / General