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.
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
Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology is a peer-reviewed series of contemporary monographs exploring key figures, themes, and issues in historical and systematic theology from an evangelical perspective.
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Michael A. Wilkinson has served as a pastor-elder in Texas, as the director of a campus ministry at Harvard Law School, and as an adjunct professor of theology in Bozeman, Montana, where he now practices as a lawyer.