Theological Anthropology

Definition and Meaning

Theological anthropology (Korean inganron, 人間論) is the field of systematic theology that deals with the origin, nature, post-Fall condition, and purpose of human beings. It is closely interconnected with theology proper, which deals with God; Christology, which deals with Christ; and soteriology, which deals with salvation. It is often treated together with hamartiology, the doctrine of sin. Its main topics include the following:

• The image of God: the meaning of the confession that humanity was created in the image of God
• The constitution of the human person: dichotomism, which views the person as composed of two parts, soul and body, and trichotomism, which views the person as composed of three parts, spirit, soul, and body
• The Fall and sin: how the first man's transgression has affected the human race

Biblical and Historical Background

Scripture presents human beings as creatures made by God. Genesis 1:26-27 states that humanity was created in the image of God, and Genesis 2:7 records that God breathed the breath of life into the man He had formed from the dust of the ground. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul mentions "spirit and soul and body" together, and this verse is frequently cited in support of trichotomism. Proponents of dichotomism, by contrast, hold that Scripture generally uses "spirit" and "soul" interchangeably.

Interpretations also differ as to what constitutes the image of God. Some identify it with human capacities such as reason or morality, others with the relationships human beings have with God and with their neighbors, and still others with the mandate to exercise dominion over the world.

In the fifth century, Augustine argued that because of original sin human beings cannot choose the good on their own, setting himself against Pelagius, who emphasized the goodness of human nature and the freedom of the will. The Reformers followed Augustine's line, emphasizing the inability of fallen humanity. Later, the question of how the human will is involved in salvation again became a point of contention between Calvinism and Arminianism.

Practice in the Korean Church

In the Korean church, theological anthropology is studied mainly in systematic theology courses at graduate schools of theology, and in preaching it serves as the foundation for explaining sin, repentance, and the need for salvation.

• Presbyterians (the Reformed tradition), following the Westminster Confession of Faith, emphasize "total depravity," the teaching that fallen humanity has lost the ability to return to God on its own. Presbyterian scholarship generally holds to dichotomism.
• Churches in the Wesleyan tradition, such as the Methodist and Holiness churches, acknowledge the fallenness of humanity but teach that through prevenient grace, which God extends beforehand to all people, the freedom to respond to grace is restored.
• Trichotomism has rarely been adopted as the official doctrine of a denomination. It is widely used, however, in sermons and popular devotional books to distinguish between the "spiritual person" and the "carnal person." Such explanations are also connected to how the biblical expression spirit and flesh is understood.