Anthropomorphism in Christian Theology - (Explorations in Philosophy and Theology) by William C Hackett (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

William C. Hackett provides a renewed reading of Christian theology by evaluating the role of anthropomorphism in shaping negative theology. Through this theological history, he addresses the fear of anthropomorphism that prompted early philosophers and theologians to adopt abstract understandings of God.

Hackett charts the wide-ranging importance of anthropomorphism to theology through figures including Balthasar, Bultmann, Dionysius the Areopagite, and Cyril of Alexandria. He argues that anthropomorphism highlights the unique conceptual problem between divine presence and absence. By exploring the turn away from practical and embodied views of God in Scripture, this book focuses on anthropomorphic views of God in symbols, images, and narratives. Emphasising these forms promotes an intellectual vision of Christianity that challenges theoretical and conceptual abstraction. Anthropomorphism in Christian Theology further traces the nuances between human and angelic intellect, modern philosophy and theology, negative theology and the concept of transcendence.

Review Quotes

Hackett's tour de force in philosophy of religion offers substantial analysis of many important continental figures in light of contemporary theologians like Balthasar and patristic voices like Cyril of Alexandria, Pseudo-Dionysius, Gregory of Nyssa, and Augustine. Written in evocative literary tropes, the book will be a pleasure to read for those philosophers and theologians interested in themes like the body, cosmology, mystical experience, and liturgy.
Joseph Rivera, Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Dublin City University, Ireland

About the Author

William C. Hackett is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, USA.