More Than Things - by Paul Louis Metzger (Paperback)

About the Book

In a world dominated by things, we must work hard to account for one another's personhood. Drawing a diverse set of thought leaders, Paul Louis Metzger helps us navigate a pluralistic world through a personalist moral framework, addressing issues such as abortion, genetic engineering, immigration, drone warfare, and more.

Book Synopsis

ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award

We live in a culture of commodification. People are too often defined by what they do or own; they're treated as means to an end or cogs in a machine. What goes missing is a deep sense of personhood--the belief that all humans are unique subjects with inherent worth and the right to self-determination in authentic communion with others.

In a world dominated by things, Paul Louis Metzger argues, we must work hard to account for one another's personhood. We need to cultivate relational structures that honor every human's dignity in vital interpersonal community. The theological and philosophical framework known as personalism can help guide us toward such a culture. Drawing from a wide range of thought leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paul II, Metzger presents a personalist moral vision founded on the Christian ideals of faith, hope, and love. He demonstrates how this moral compass can help us navigate a pluralistic world by applying it to a variety of pressing ethical issues, including abortion, genetic engineering, immigration, drone warfare, and more.

More Than Things is perfect as a supplemental text for philosophy or ethics courses and for those who want to go deeper in the study of human dignity and worth. Ultimately human personhood begins with the personal, triune God, who invites us to live more fully as human beings. With this book, learn to refuse to reduce fellow humans--and yourself--to mere abstractions or objects, and follow the example of Jesus in honoring the value of every person and of creaturely life as a whole.

About the Author

Paul Louis Metzger (PhD, King's College London) is professor of Christian theology and theology of culture at Multnomah University and Seminary and director of The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins. He is the author of numerous books, including Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church and Connecting Christ: How to Discuss Jesus in a World of Diverse Paths, and coeditor of A World for All? Global Civil Society in Political Theory and Trinitarian Theology.