Philosophical Anthropology and the Psychological and Theological Understandings
Essay must include the following:
● At least 500 words in length.
● Must include at least 3 in-text or parenthetical citations in current APA format.
● The Entwistle textbook is the only required source and must be cited in the text and on the reference page.
● Direct quotes are not permitted.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Essay: Epistemology Assignment:
Define epistemology and describe the 3 models of how certain we are that our perceptions mirror reality. Which position do you hold, and why? What are the different methods of knowing (see Entwistle chapter 5)? What are the limitations of these (or any) methods of knowing? What methods of knowing are appropriate for Christians, and why?
Essay: Philosophical Anthropology Assignment:
Define philosophical anthropology and compare the psychological and theological understandings of philosophical anthropology. Identify several distinct contributions offered by psychology that are absent (not offered in detail) from Christian theology. Identify several distinct contributions offered by Christian theology that are absent (or not offered in detail) from psychology. Are psychological and theological perspectives on philosophical anthropology ultimately opposed to and irreconcilable with each other, or can they be reconciled? Defend your answer.
Essay: Combatants and Antagonism Assignment: (Choose 1 of the 2 prompts below on which to comment.)
Combatants:
Entwistle asserts: “those with whom we disagree often have things to teach us… [we must] ask ourselves what is to be learned and appreciated” from those with whom we disagree. Identify at least 3 things that you appreciate/can learn from those who hold the secular combatants’ or Christian combatants’ versions of the Enemies model.
Antagonism:
After reading chapter 9 and watching the Antagonism video, what concerns, if any, do you have about the influence of secular assumptions on the field of psychology? What concerns, if any, do you have about the claims and counsel of the nouthetic counseling movement?
Essay: Colonialism and Scriptural Authority and Theological Interpretation Assignment (Choose 1 of the 2 prompts below on which to comment.)
Colonialism
The Colonialist model ostensibly recognizes the value of psychology, but it does not typically result in deep engagement with the findings or methods of psychology. How might this be applied to a topic such as eating disorders or depression? What would be some of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach?
Scriptural Authority and Theological Interpretation
Entwistle distinguishes between scriptural authority and theological interpretation. Do you agree? Why might this distinction be important? Support your view with an example.
Essay: Reflection on God’s Works and The Glory of God Assignment (Choose 1 of the 2 prompts below on which to comment.)
Reflection on God’s Works
Entwistle noted that “theological reflection typically focuses more on God’s workings in the world,” while “psychological reflection typically focuses more on the workings of God’s world.” What implications does this have for the relationship between psychology and Christianity?
Philosophical Anthropology Essay
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Define philosophical anthropology and compare the psychological and theological understandings of philosophical anthropology.
According to Entwistle (2015), philosophical anthropology is a philosophical discipline that studies humankind concerning their relationship with the environment and social identities. It is a science that recognizes the potential to control human nature using natural laws or rules governing the universe's structure in its entirety, as well as the factors that influence human behavior. Both theology and psychology can be employed to understand philosophical anthropology in relation to how it affects human actions and their relationship to nature. Theology deals with understanding the nature of God and how this reflects on humankind based on Biblical accounts and spiritual realms. On the other hand, anthropological philosophy studies human behavior in their external contexts and the cultivation of inherent values and morals within the individual. Theological perspectives inform philosophical anthropology concerning how it deals with establishing humankind's relationship with God and how such influences human life (Entwistle, 2015). This becomes a subjective issue based on faith, thus giving room for the generalizability and objectivity of the arguments.
Accordingly, psychology offers an in-depth understanding of human behavior within the external environment. The psychological conception of philosophical anthropology offers the latter meaningful insights from a realistic perspective. More specifically, psychology employs metaphysical and empirical rationales to evaluate humanistic tendencies that inform understanding of their interactions in their natural environment. Based on psychological insight, it can be derived that philosophical anthropology deals with the formation of the understanding of self in cultural contexts as well as how an individual behaves in the natural environment (Entwistle, 2015).
Identify several distinct contributions offered by psychology that are absent (not offered in detail) from Christian theology. Identify several distinct contributions offered by Christian theolo...