What does it mean when we speak of human dignity? What challenges does human dignity confront in our culture today? What is the relationship between contemporary understandings of human dignity and the ancient Christian doctrine of
imago Dei,
the view that human beings are created in "the image and likeness of God"?
This book pursues these and related questions in the form of an ecumenical
"trialogue" by leading scholars from the three major Christian traditions: John Behr from the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Russell Hittinger from the Catholic, and C. Ben Mitchell from the Protestant tradition. The book is the first of its kind to foster an ecumenical conversation around teachings of
imago Dei
and present-day understandings of human dignity. The three chapter-essays, the editor's introduction, and the afterword by Lutheran theologian Gilbert Meilaender draw from a wide array of sources, including Scripture, patristic works, ancient creeds, medieval and Thomistic writings, papal encyclicals, Protestant confessional statements, the works of modern theologians, and more.
Imago Dei
will serve as an indispensable resource for those wishing to deepen their grasp of the theological bases for Christian views of human dignity, as well as for those who believe that Christ's words "that they be one" (John 17:21) remain a theological imperative today. The combination of ethical inquiry and ecumenical collaboration makes this timely book a unique and compelling contribution to present-day
Christian thought.
ABOUT THE EDITOR:
Thomas Albert Howard currently holds the Stephen Phillips Chair of History and is director of the Center for Faith and Inquiry at Gordon College. He is the author of numerous publications including
God and the Atlantic: America, Europe, and the Religious Divide.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
"It is a good moment for this volume to appear. It presents a way to go beyond the defensive posture and to articulate clearly and boldly the strengths and riches of the
Christian tradition and to see these as a 'public resource,' especially for a society that has been overwhelmingly Christian in its orientation, both historically and culturally."—Jean Bethke Elshtain, Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics, University of Chicago
"What is especially new and significant is the conversation this book initiates. As the beginning of an ecumenical dialogue centered on ideas and issues related to the
and human dignity, this book provides something new, interesting, and important for our time."—David J. Bryant, professor of religious studies, Eckerd
College