Are human beings fundamentally bad, overwhelmingly dominated by the powers of sin and evil?  Or are weat our core good, capable of responding faithfully to God and of living with care and compassion toward others? How we answer these questions will have a great impact on our broader theology and on our expectations for our social relationships.

In my essay, “The Doctrine of Humanity,” I present the case for a quite optimistic view of humanity–based on biblical teaching and, especially, the life and teaching of Jesus.  Jesus is our model for being human, and the Bible has the full expectation that, in spite of our very real tendencies toward sin and selfishness, we are capable of following the example Jesus sets.

This essay is the seventh in a series that examines core Christian doctrines, consistently asking what shape they should take if they are articulated in light of Jesus.