ReSourcing Theological Anthropology: A Constructive Account of Humanity in the Light of Christ

by Marc Cortez

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2017

Overview

Theologians working in theological anthropology often claim that Jesus reveals what it means to be “truly human,” but this often has little impact in their actual account of anthropology. ReSourcing Theological Anthropology addresses that lack by offering an account of why theological anthropology must begin with Christology. Building off his earlier study on how key theologians in church history have understood the relationship between Christology and theological anthropology, Cortez now develops a new proposal for theological anthropology and applies it to the theological situation today. ReSourcing Theological Anthropology is divided into four sections. The first section explores the relevant Christological/anthropological biblical passages and unpacks how they inform our understanding of theological anthropology. The second section discusses the theological issues raised in the course of surveying the biblical texts. The third section lays out a methodological framework for how to construct a uniquely Christological anthropology. The final section builds on the first three sections and demonstrates the significance of Christology for understanding theological anthropology by applying the methodological framework to several pressing anthropological issues: gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and death and suffering.

Key Features

• Explores the relevant Christological/anthropological biblical passages
• Discusses the theological issues raised in the course of surveying the biblical texts
• Provides a methodological framework for how to construct a uniquely Christological anthropology

Contents

Part One: An Empty Cipher

• The Glory of Christ, the Image of God, and the Christological Orientation of Theological Anthropology

Part Two: Centered on Christ through the Centuries

• What is a ‘Will’?: Maximus’ Cosmological Christology and Human Volitionality
• Prototype, Archetype, and Gender-type: Gregory of Nyssa and the Christological (De)gendering of the Human Person
• Cross-Centered Vocation: The Theology of the Cross in Luther’s Theological Anthropology
• Consciousness of God, Awareness of Self: Schleiermacher’s Reconstruction of the imitatio Christi
• Summoned into Being: Body, Soul, and Eternal Election in Barth’s Theology
• Person, Persons, and Personhood: Zizioulas and the Ecclesial Nature of Humanity
• The Black Christ: James Cone and the Race-ing of the Human Person

Part Three: Tentative Steps Forward

• Reforming Our Anthropological Vision: Some Concluding Thoughts on the Shape of a Christ-Centered Theological Anthropology

Top Highlights

“Paul suggests in this passage that Jesus’s status as the ‘second Adam’ comes as the eschatological fulfillment of God’s plans for creation and not just his response to the fall.” (Page 69)

“The resurrection of the body is central to the Christian faith as the outworking of God’s purposes for his people.” (Page 70)

“Is it possible that Pilate’s ecce homo is another example of unintentional witness in John? I will argue in this chapter that not only is it possible, but that if we read ecce homo in light of the broader story of the anthrōpos in John, we will see that John uses this incident to portray Jesus as the true human who comes to inaugurate the reality of the new creation. As the anthrōpos, Jesus is the one who fulfills God’s creational purposes for humanity.” (Page 36)

“I will suggest that the best approach is to conclude, without rejecting the idea that the Son is consubstantial with the Father from all eternity, (1) that the imago Dei refers specifically to the humanity of the Son in the incarnation and (2) that the imago Dei is still an eternal truth about what it means to be human.” (Page 101)

“Thus, what is important for us to recognize here is that already in the first chapter of John we have a story about a significant individual who will descend from heaven, dwell in the flesh with God’s people, bringing life and light to all anthrōpoi, and who bears the title ‘Son of Man.’” (Page 39)

Praise for the Print Edition

If Jesus Christ is truly human, then any account of human agents must reflect this obvious theological platitude. But how should we spell out the relevant inference? Most especially, given that Jesus is male and Jewish. Marc Cortez provides a clear and provocative answer. Written with apt caution and precision, this book is indispensable reading for both seasoned theologians and enthusiastic novices.

—William J. Abraham, Southern Methodist University

Over the course of this extraordinary book, Marc Cortez engages some of the biggest questions of today while remaining thoroughly rooted in Scripture and tradition. He develops his constructive contribution to theological anthropology in conversation with an impressively wide range of contemporary voices. While never compromising his engagement with high-level thought, his book is exceptionably accessible and readable. Every Christian needs to wrestle with the questions engaged in this book: What does it mean to be human? How does Jesus Christ help us understand who we are? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? How does Jesus Christ help us understand gender and sexuality? What does Jesus Christ contribute to our conceptions of race and ethnicity today? And as they wrestle with these questions, they could have no better guide than Marc Cortez.

—Kristen Deede Johnson, Western Theological Seminary

Calvin famously claimed that there is no knowledge of self without knowledge of God. Barth amended the motion, insisting that there is no knowledge of God without knowledge of Christ. Cortez here extends the logic further, arguing that, theologically speaking, there is no knowledge of self apart from knowledge of the humanity of Christ. Christology does not simply supplement but constitutes the most important things we know about our own humanity. This is a bold claim, to be sure, yet Cortez clearly provides biblical grounding for it and anticipates the likely objections, thereby putting flesh on what many theologians thinly assume but never thickly describe—namely, how, why, and where Christology ought to inform anthropology.

—Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Product Details

• Title: Resourcing Theological Anthropology: A Constructive Account of Humanity in the Light of Christ
• Author: Marc Cortez
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2017
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Pages: 301
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Jesus Christ › Person and offices; Theological anthropology › Christianity
• ISBNs: 9780310516446, 9780310516439, 0310516447, 0310516439
• Resource ID: LLS:RSRCNGTNTHRPLGY
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:47:49Z

About Marc Cortez

Marc Cortez received his PhD in theology from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and holds a ThM and MA from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is professor of theology at Wheaton College and Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois. He previously taught at Western Seminary for seven years, where he served as academic dean and director of the ThM program. Prior to that, he served for nearly ten years as a youth pastor for middle and high school students, and he continues to be involved in various areas of ministry. Dr. Cortez is a leading expert in theological anthropology, and his published works on this topic include ReSourcing Theological Anthropology, Christological Anthropology in Historical Perspective, and Theological Anthropology: A Guide for the Perplexed.