The Fall of Humankind and Social Progress: Engagements with Emil Brunner (Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies)

Mäkipää, Arttu

ISBN 10: 1032434090 / ISBN 13: 9781032434094

Published by Routledge, 2023

About this Item

Seller Inventory # V9781032434094

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Fall of Humankind and Social Progress: Engagements with Emil Brunner (Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies)
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1032434090
• ISBN 13: 9781032434094
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This book investigates the link between human capabilities and the preconditions for social progress through an engagement with the theological anthropology of Swiss theologian Emil Brunner (1889–1966). It places Brunner’s thought in dialogue with selected contributors from the contemporary social sciences, examining approaches from economics, sociology and philosophy as put forward by Gary S. Becker, Christian Smith and Martha Nussbaum. This dialogic format helps to crystallise both agreements and differences and thus facilitate greater understanding between theology and other disciplines. Questions explored in the discussion relate to the emergence of human nature (the person) and the capabilities human beings possess, as well as how these develop in a social context. The author focuses in particular on the impact of sin (the Fall) and considers the mixed blessings of economic progress. By providing pointers on how to bring back the human person in social disciplines, the book hopes to contribute to improved understanding of the ethical dimension of social progress and human flourishing. It will be of particular interest to scholars of analytic and systematic theology, but also scholars from economics and social sciences with openness to theological engagement.

About the Author

Arttu Mäkipää is an affiliated researcher in the Department of Systematic Theology at the Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (ETF) in Leuven, Belgium. Trained in both economics and theology, he has also worked as a European Union official for a number of years and has extensive experience in the international policy field.