Russell’s article, mentioned in the previous post, scores a few points against Zizi and a relational emphasis in theological anthropology. His main criticisms, however, do not touch a high Reformed anthropology. One of his criticisms is that Zizi does not pay sufficient attention to the role the world plays in constituting our being and personhood. Our embodied bumping-into the world is part of what makes us what we are (this is a part of his point in the quotation in the previous post). In a Reformed framework, however, this does not constitute any kind of qualification of relational formation of persons. We are made by our genes, for sure. But our genes are what our genes are because they are obeying the voice of an utterly sovereign God. As Van Til liked to point out, every non-Calvinist position ends up introducing a zone of impersonalism that finally gobbles up persons. Only Calvinism can be a cosmic personalism.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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