This collaborative project strives for greater consonance between contemporary science and Christian faith. Outstanding scholars in biology, genetics, neuroscience, cognitive science, philosophy, theology, biblical studies, and ethics join here to offer contemporary accounts of human nature consistent with Christian teaching. Their central theme is a nondualistic account of the human person that does not consider the "soul" an entity separable from the body; scientific statements about the physical nature of human beings are about exactly the same entity as are theological statements concerning the spiritual nature of human beings. For all those interested in fundamental questions of human identity posed by the present context, this volume will provide a fascinating and authoritative resource. ~ Product Description

Table of Contents

• • Contributors
  • Preface
  • 1    Human Nature: Historical, Scientific, and Religious Issues    1
  • 2    Human Nature: One Evolutionist’s View    31
  • 3    A Genetic View of Human Nature    49
  • 4    Brain, Mind, and Behavior    73
  • 5    Cognitive Contributions to Soul    99
  • 6    Nonreductive Physicalism: Philosophical Issues    127
  • 7    "Bodies – That Is, Human Lives": A Re-Examination of Human Nature in the Bible    149
  • 8    On Being Human: The Spiritual Saga of a Creaturely Soul    175
  • 9    A Moral Case for Nonreductive Physicalism    195
  • 10    Conclusion: Reconciling Scientific and Biblical Portraits of Human Nature    213
  • Bibliography    229
  • Index    245