Who are we? What does it mean to be human?
In our age of technological transformation, identity politics, and existential uncertainty, these questions have never been more urgent. This groundbreaking book returns to Christianity's foundational thinkers-the Church Fathers-to recover their profound and surprisingly relevant wisdom about human nature, purpose, and fulfillment.
From the deserts of Egypt to the intellectual centers of Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome, the Patristic writers developed sophisticated understandings of what makes us human. Through careful analysis of their writings and thought, this book reveals how these ancient thinkers offer a refreshingly holistic alternative to our fragmented modern conceptions of humanity.
Discover how the Fathers understood:
The divine image in humanity and its implications for human dignity
The integrated relationship between body and soul
The transformative path from brokenness to wholeness
Freedom and its relationship to divine grace
Gender, sexuality, and human relationships
The communal dimensions of human flourishing
Our ultimate destiny in communion with God
Unlike purely historical surveys, this book engages the Patristic tradition as a living source of wisdom with remarkable relevance for contemporary questions. Drawing on twenty-four centuries of Christian thought at its deepest, it speaks to believers seeking a more integrated faith, scholars exploring the roots of Western thought, and anyone searching for a more coherent understanding of what it means to be human.
Imago Dei: The Human Person in Patristic Anthropology
offers a timely retrieval of ancient wisdom for a modern world desperately in need of a more humane vision. In these pages, readers will find not merely historical curiosities but companions for the journey toward authentic humanity.