Biblical Anthropology Index

Since the Biblical Anthropology series is going to take a while, I’m going to start an index as I go so that you can figure out how everything fits. This series is basically a translation and adaptation of a series I did at our church in Mexico.

Part 1: The Beginning

• 7 Hebrew Words – About 3500 years ago, an old man begin to write. The first three words completely change our understanding of reality. The first seven words change our understanding of the cosmos. And with just a few phrases, our understanding of how the world works, who we are, the purpose of life and the concept of love is completely transformed.
• Genesis 1 and 2: First Keyword – It’s interesting to note that everyone seems to have some kind of basic “authority”. We might also say that everyone has “presuppositions”. Here’s a common example…
• Genesis 1 and 2: Keywords #2 and #3 – And as a bonus, “What is a taco?”

Part 2: Christ or Chaos

• The Serpent’s Temptation (Leaving Genesis 1 & 2 Behind) – When you try to separate your thinking from the truths of Genesis 1 and 2, strange things happen…
• Does Sin Even Exist? – In 1930, Karl Menninger did an interview which was later turned into a book, entitled “From Sin To Psychiatry”. After a section in which he mocks the encounters that Jesus had with demons, and with the concept of original sin, he says…
• The Great Universal Project of Humanity – Last time we talked about what the Bible says about sin. The reality of sin is what leads to The Great Universal Project of Humanity.
• Responsible. – We met psychiatrist Karl Menninger in the post Does Sin Even Exist?. Dr. Menninger’s answer, in his 1930 book, was basically, “Of course not, don’t be silly.” … Over 40 years after his interview, where he tried to understand mental illness while denying the reality of sin, he admitted he had been wrong.

Part 3: The Image

• The Image – God created the man and the woman in “His image”. But what does the Bible actually say about this? Is “the image” still important for us today, in a fallen world?
• The Image Imitated – How our thinking became twisted after the Fall, and “the image” became something altogether different.
• The True Image – Why Christmas changes everything.

Part 4: The Family

• The Family (Introduction) – Building on the foundation of what we’ve learned so far, and looking at the reality of today’s world.
• What Did Jesus Think About The Family? – A closer look at Jesus’ teaching, and a pause to think about the reality of our lives in the modern world.
• Gender in the Bible – Starting back in Genesis, and then moving forward to the Law, what does the Bible have to say about gender and family?
• Men and Women in the Bible – How does the Bible talk about men and women? Are there strengths or weaknesses that each tend to have?

Part 5: The Borders of Life

• The Borders of Life: Introduction – The beginning of life, and the ending of life. What does the Bible have to say about the old and the young?
• The Bible on Murder – The Bible recognized different types of homicide. Let’s take a look at some examples to get the basics in our minds.
• Killing at the Beginning of Life – How can we think about killing early in a human life using biblical categories?
• Is the Church Right to Value Young Life? – Dealing with a difficult passage, and baby murder in the Roman Empire vs. Today.
• The Borders of Life: Types of Euthanasia – Euthanasia is not just one thing, and the definition seems to be expanding…
• Suffering and Death in the Bible – If we’re truly going to help a suffering person, there are some principles we need to understand.

Part 6: The Authorities

• The Authorities: 12 Part Series – This is in a bit of a different format because it was not originally a part of the series (although it should have been). But it will be a huge help in understanding what’s to come. This is a discussion of our relationship to governments, based on Romans 13 but dealing with many other relevant passages.

Part 7: Technology

• Technology: What is it? – How can we define technology, and how did it all start?
• Humans Begin Using Technology – The early history of technology teaches us something about its use and misuse.
• Technology Redeemed? – How good cooperation between God and humans is demonstrated in history.
• Scientism and Transhumanism – How a worldly view of technology leads us to very different places than the Christian view.
• Transhumanism, Posthumanism, … Antihumanism – A review of some foundations, before we look into more big words. 🙂
• Artificial Intelligence and Eternal Life – Will human beings learn to live forever? Or will AI replace the human race completely?
• Talk to Your Smart Phone – Some tips from Tim Challies to help us evaluate technologies that we allow into our lives.

Part 8: Justice

• Justice (Introduction) – To “do justice” is to imitate God…
• Justice and the Enemy’s Headquarters – How the world uses truth to attack God.
• Justice: Oppressor and Oppressed – Introducing Karl Marx and his theory of the oppressed and the oppressor.
• Justice: Value and Law – Justice and the image of God, and justice and law in today’s world
• Justice & Law: Who is Guilty? – Who is actually guilty? Is it up to the “experts” to decide? Does it depend on the group you’re a part of?
• Justice: Salvation and Earthly Authorities – Rejecting God has massive consequences in the way we view and do justice.
• Justice: The Church and Eternal Justice – Our last two perspectives on justice.

Part 9: Partiality

• Biblical Anthropology: Partiality – An introduction, and an introduction to the Marxist idea of perfectibility.
• Charles and Paul on Race – Charles Darwin and the Apostle Paul face off on the topic of race.
• Who is “Privileged”? – Finding some problems on our “privilege walk”.
• When Mercy Goes Wrong – Sometimes our assumptions about helping the poor just don’t work out…
• Doing Justice, Defending the Poor. – What the Bible actually teaches about helping the vulnerable.
• Partiality in the Church – Bringing it home: recognizing sin in our own congregations.
• Justice and Partiality: Application Time. – Pulling it together: Obeying the Bible’s teaching on partiality.

Part 10: Creativity & Communication

• Biblical Anthropology: Creativity & Communication – An introduction to the topic.
• Fine Arts and Images – Doesn’t the Bible prohibit “images”?
• Religious Art, Secular Art, and Ugly Art in the Bible – A quick survey of some of the kinds of art in the Bible.
• “Judging” Art? – Is art something that’s above any kind of judgement?
• The World Uses Art – How does the world use art and creativity? How are art and communication “controlled”?
• Francis Schaeffer on Art – And something from my Dad as well. 🙂
• The Extravagance of Art – Ending this section on a positive note, with a surprising story about Jesus.

Part 11: The Environment

• The Environment (introduction) – Five basic truths to start with
• The Environment in a Fallen World – How did things change after the Fall? And how will it all end?
• Four Biblical Principles for the Environment – A look at some biblical laws and principles brings us to a surprising conclusion…
• Climate Change, Paper Towels and Wind Power… – Common narratives: could there be another side to the story?
• The Environment: A Look At The Plan… – A look through a UN document about “ecosystem restoration”
• The Environment: Conclusion – Last thoughts about this topic, and some questions for personal application.

Part 12: Everything Together

• Part 1 – A review of “The Beginning” and “Christ or Chaos”
• Part 2 – A review of “The Image”, “The Family” and “The Borders of Life”
• Part 3 – A review of “The Authorities” and “Technology”
• Part 4 – A review of “Justice” and “Partiality”
• Part 5 – A review of “Creativity & Communication” and “The Environment”
• Conclusion – Christ or chaos!