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Anthropology (theological) Ethics

Body, Soul, and Transgenderism: A Revision of My Earlier, Tentative, Theological Proposal

In June of 2015, in the wake of Bruce Jenner’s gender transition into Caitlyn Jenner, I published a blog post which has been among my most visited posts. It was entitled: “A Female Soul in a Male Body?: A Theological Proposal.” I am still satisfied with most of what I wrote in that post, but […]

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Anthropology (theological)

Is it possible to give a biblically faithful account of human being which is substance monist?

Currently, I identify myself as a substance dualist who believes that humans are constituted of a material substance (body) and an immaterial substance (spirit), but I attempt to hold this view in a manner which does not diminish the great importance of the human body, and which emphasizes the wholeness of human being. I hold […]

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Anthropology (theological) Books

The perspective on Adam in intertestamental Jewish literature

  I am following with great interest the discussion going on within evangelicalism regarding the relationship between biblical teaching and evolutionary theory. In this regard, Ben Witherington’s series of comments on Adam and the Genome, by Dennis Venema and Scot McKnight has been fascinating. I am particularly attending to the discussion of the historicity of […]

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Anthropology (theological) Ethics

A female soul in a male body?: a theological proposal

The Vanity Fair article on Bruce Jenner’s gender transition into Caitlyn Jenner has created a lot of buzz. Given the dominant perspective on sexual diversity in North American culture, much of the public response has been enthusiastically affirmative. Meanwhile, Christians are trying to figure out what to make of the stories of people with gender […]

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Anthropology (theological) Divine Knowledge Theology Proper

Does hypothetical knowledge Calvinism have an odd ontology of personhood?

In an ETS paper in 2013, John Laing critiqued Bruce Ware’s model of providence which is very much like my own “hypothetical knowledge Calvinist” model. In a long post on March 10, I explained why John Laing is wrong to think that hypothetical knowledge Calvinism is vulnerable to the grounding objection that Calvinists and Open […]

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Anthropology (theological) Ethics Hamartiology

Is orientation sinful or can only behavior be deemed sin?

“Same-sex acts are sinful, but same-sex orientation is not.” I have often read or heard that sentiment, and it began to make sense to me, particularly in cases where the orientation was not brought about by choices made by the individual. A very helpful article by Denny Burk (“Is homosexual orientation sinful?”) has challenged me […]

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Anthropology (theological) Ethics

What is a conscience, and what is the source of the moral standards to which it testifies?

Why does our concept of the conscience matter theologically? The human conscience keenly interests me because of its role in various theological disciplines. It comes into ethics and hamartiology (the doctrine of sin) because of the way our concept of the conscience informs our understanding of guilt. It is significant soteriologically when we ponder what […]

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Anthropology (theological) Christology

Reflections on the incarnation, with reference to the constituent nature of human being

Therefore, following the holy Fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood; truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, […]

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Anthropology (theological)

What is “complementarianism”?

If you hear someone tell you that complementarity means you have to get married, have dozens of babies, be a stay-at-home housewife, clean toilets, completely forego a career, chuck your brain, tolerate abuse, watch Leave It to Beaver reruns, bury your gifts, deny your personality, and bobble-head nod “yes” to everything men say, don’t believe […]