DEFINITION:

In modern usage
anthropology is "that
branch of natural history
which deals with the human
species

In its theological usage

anthropology is "that
branch of theological
science which treats of
man, both in his original
and in his fallen condition.

It embraces the consideration

of man's creation, primitive
condition, probation, and
apostasy, original sin, and
actual transgressions"

In its modern and

theological forms,
anthropology seeks to
answer the following
fundamental questions
about mankind:

From where does man

come? (Origin)

What or Who is man ?

(Nature)

Why is man? (Purpose)

SIGNIFICANCE

We can have no clear and

real knowledge of God
without some
corresponding knowledge
of ourselves.

Anthropology is
significant because all
major doctrines of the
Bible are interrelated to
it.

ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIEWS

Characteristics:
- Evolutionary
- Materialistic
- Atheistic

MARXISM

Marx viewed all religions,

including Christianity, as
illusions. Marx himself said
that "man makes religion;
religion does not make
man"

MARXISM

He concluded that religion

is the "opium of the
people," providing an
illusion of happiness
without true happiness

MARXISM

Marxism View of
As a materialist, Marx
Man

denied that each man is a

creature made in the
image of a sovereign God.
Rather, man is an
essentially social being,
MARXISM
with no individual
human
nature. His whole life is

BEHAVIORISM

Behaviorism is naturalistic.
This means that the
material world is the
ultimate reality, and
everything can be
explained in terms of
natural laws. Man has no
soul and no mind, only a
BEHAVIORISM
brain that responds
to
external stimuli.

Because we are biological

machines, behaviorism
teaches that man is NOT
responsible for his actions.
Behavior is inevitable
when the proper stimuli
and environment mingle.

BEHAVIORISM

EXISTENTIALISM

Deterministic
Existentialism
(1)Man exists in world of
forces that are beyond
his control.
(2) Mankind is helpless and

EXISTENTIALISM
hopeless.
All is futile.

Self-determined
Existentialism
(1) Man is basically free.
(2) This free will of man is the essence
of his nature.
(3) Therefore, to be truly human one
must accept responsibility of selfdetermination.
(4) Consequently, the failure to
exercise one's freedom is to deny
one's humanity.

EXISTENTIALISM

CHRISTIAN VIEW

First, God has created man.

Man is not the product of
chance process of evolution,
but he exists because of the
determinative will of God.
Therefore, man has a reason
for his existence, to glorify
God and enjoy Him forever.

Man bears the image of

God, even after the fall. This
is man's essence, that is,
the thing that distinguishes
him from the animals.

Because of man's
relationship to God, he has
an immortal soul-- one
which shall exist somewhere
forever

Furthermore, man is
significant.

What man is now is not

what man ought to be, nor
is it what he once was. We
see a fallen man, whose
image-bearing nature has
been marred, although not
erased.

"While rational inquiry has

left us in the dark and led us
into grave errors about
man's true identity, we have
a true source to which we
may turn. Man's nature "has
been answered by God's
Word-revelation

The Original Created Conditions

God is absolutely perfect, and it
follows, therefore, that His creation
was also perfect. Nothing less than the
perfect can come from an absolutely
perfect Being, and it befits the perfect
Being to make only perfect beings, for
the effects bear the image of their
Cause.

The Biblical Basis for the Origina

State of Innocence and Perfection
According to Genesis 1-2. Adam and
Eve were created with complete
innocence. They had no evil in their
natures or their environment.

The Biblical Basis for the Origina

State of Innocence and Perfection
They were not ashamed (Gen. 2:25)
and they did not yet know good and
evil
(3:5).
According to the NT, by disobedience
Adam and Eve became sinful (Rom
5:12, 1 Tim 2:14)

1. A State of Virtue and Uprightnes

Not only were Adman and Eve
innocent (without evil), they were
morally virtuous, for God endowed
them with moral perfection.

A State of Virtue and Uprightness

Solomon wrote, This only have I
found: God made manking upright,
but men have gone in search of many
schemes (Ecc. 7:29)

A State of Virtue and Uprightness

yashar does not merely denote the
absence of evil but also the presence
of good.

A State of Virtue and Uprightness

TWO BASIC VIEWS OF THIS CREATED STATE OF
PURITY

1. Supernatural View (Jonathan

Edwards)
Held that this original status was
supernaturally created state of grace
that Adam had before the Fall and then
lost by his sin.

A State of Virtue and Uprightness

TWO BASIC VIEWS OF THIS CREATED STATE OF
PURITY

1. Natural View
Original righteousness enters into the
very idea of man as coming from the
hands of the Creator. It is part of his
created endowment, and does not
require to be superadded.

2. A Perfect Environment

Everything God made was very good

(Gen. 1:31). There was no moral
imperfection; it was flawless in every
way. Creation was not subject to
corruption, as it was after the Fall
(Rom. 8:22)
There was no human death (Rom.
5:12), and both internal and external
natures were absolutely perfect.

3. A State of Dominion
In the original created state,
humankind was not a servant of nature
but a master over it. (Gen. 1:28)

4. A State of Moral Responsibility

God had given an order to Adam and
he had a responsibility to obey His
creator. (Gen. 2:16-17) Adam was free
in that his actions were selfdetermined.

The Theological Basis for the Origin

State of Innocence and Perfection
1. God is an absolutely perfect Being
2. An absolutely perfect being cannot
produce an imperfect creation
3. Therefore, the original creation God
made was perfect

An absolutely Perfect being cannot

Produce an Imperfect Creation
If a Creator makes something with
moral perfection, He too must have
the same characteristic, for a cause
cannot give a perfection it doesnt
possess.

1. God is an absolutely perfect Bein

a. Gods nature is morally perfect
b. God is infinite, unchangeable, and
necessary by nature
c. Therefore, God is infinitely,
unchangeably, and necessarily
morally perfect

ORIGIN OF THE HUMAN SOUL

1. Preexistence view
a. The uncreated view according to
Plato, human souls are not intrinsically
immortal but they are also eternal.
Human beings are eternal souls in
temporal bodies.

b. Created-preexistence view
The soul existed before birth, it was
created by God from eternity.

ORIGIN OF THE HUMAN SOUL

2. The Creation View
God directly creates a new individual
soul for everyone born into this world.
While the body of each new human
being is generated by his or her
parents through natural process.

2. The Creation View

A. Creation of the soul at Conception
(favored)
B. Creation of the Soul at implantation
C. Creation of the Soul AFTER
implantation
D. Creation of the Soul at animation
E. Creation of the Soul at Birth

ORIGIN OF THE HUMAN SOUL

3. The Traducian View
The word traducian comes form the
Latin tradux, meaning branch of a
vine. It means that each new human
being is a branch off of his or her
parents. Both soul and body are
generated by father and mother.