Date

12-2018

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Philip McClendon

Keywords

Christian Theistic Anthropology, Christian Theistic Worldview, Materialistic Worldview, Evolution, Hedonism, Rationalism

Disciplines

Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

At the present moment, which is prior to conducting any research, I am of the opinion that anthropology has been influenced by certain schools of thought, and each school’s definition establishes a trajectory which definitively determines the adherent’s worldview. The schools of anthropology which are prevalent in today’s world, in my estimation, are the evolutionist’s perspective, the hedonistic perspective, the rationalistic perspective, the dualistic perspective and the Christian perspective. I will seek to objectively and unbiasedly define each perspective’s understanding of man, then I will compare and contrast the main tenets of each school of thought, and finally, I will seek to classify and identify the school of thought which amalgamates with the truth most succinctly. It is my aim to prove that the Christian definition of man, and therefore, the Christian worldview is the most accurate conceptualization of man, and that man, who is matter-bound, can only be defined in tandem with an active animating principle, which will be referred to as a soul (Kant 1997, 395). This study is valuable because man and his soul are a signpost to the divine. Man, in a typical and allusory way, serves as a metaphor of the church, which is compared to a body in the writing of Saint Paul (cf. Ephesians 1:22). Therefore, by authenticating that man has a soul, we will also be defending and confirming the nature of the church.

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