Product Description
Jesus defines what it means to be human
What are we as human beings? That question might seem simple and obvious, until you start trying to answer it. The church has always had a default teaching on human ontology, but not an orthodox confession. And the current debate regarding the what of human being seems to be locked in a stalemate between dualist and physicalist perspectives on body and soul, which is unable to provide a foundation to address the deeply anthropological issues of our day.
In Crowned with Glory and Honor: A Chalcedonian Anthropology, Michael A. Wilkinson Michael A. Wilkinson departs from the current debate and argues that our human being is defined by the incarnation of the divine Son. While there is a growing recognition that Christology should inform anthropology, the key to Wilkinson's argument is the analogical extension of Christ's person-nature constitution as confessed in the Chalcedonian Definition.
Such a “Chalcedonian anthropology” offers a foundation and framework for an orthodox anthropology. Defining human being in Christ would allow the church to answer the anthropological questions of our day with the help of a rich Christological tradition. And formulating a biblical-theological correspondence between Christ's human ontology and ours holds promise for greater consistency and cogency at the intersection of Christology, anthropology, and soteriology.
Paperback, 416 pages
Publication Date: 2024
Table of Contents
Introduction to Chalcedonian Anthropology
Part 1: Christological Anthropology: Principles and Practice
Biblical Warrant for Defining Human Being in Christ
Epistemological Warrant for Defining Human Being in Christ
Part 2: Chalcedonian Christology: Historical Warrant for Defining Human Being in Christ
Pre-Chalcedonian Ontology: Establishing the Person-Nature Distinction
Chalcedonian Ontology: Extending the Person-Nature Distinction
Pro-Chalcedonian Ontology: Clarifying a Person-Nature Christology
Part 3: Chalcedonian Anthropology: Warranted Theological Conclusions
Defining the Human Being of Christ
Defining Human Being in Christ
Clarifying Human Being in Christ
The Glory and Honor of Chalcedonian Anthropology
Endorsements
This excellent work explores what, if anything, the man Jesus Christ can contribute to a theologically sound understanding of humankind. Impeccably researched, carefully argued, historically grounded, and quite persuasive, this book is a must-read!
—Gregg Allison, professor of Christian theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Wilkinson’s investigation of a Chalcedonian anthropology gathers together resources from historical, biblical, and systematic theology that should have been brought together long ago. … This study is at the same time deeply conservative and courageously innovative.
—Fred Sanders, professor, Torrey Honors College, Biola University
On its own merits, this well-argued thesis deserves careful consideration. But it’s especially relevant at a time when what we are as humans is often disconnected from who and how we are in Christ.
—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California
This fresh work, building upon the christological consensus of Chalcedon, is a marvelous exploration of how the real humanity of Jesus Christ can provide direction in answering these pressing anthropological issues of our day. Highly recommended!
—Michael A. G. Haykin, professor of church history, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Author
Michael A. Wilkinson has served as a pastor-elder in Texas, the director of a campus ministry at Harvard Law School, and an adjunct professor of theology in Montana. Dr. Wilkinson’s teaching and writing ministries currently focus on applying Scripture to all of life by doing theology "on the Bible's own terms,” especially in the areas of the Trinity, Christology, anthropology, and theological method. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Trinity Law School and maintains a private law practice. He and his wife are members of Emmaus Road Church in Bozeman, Montana.
