A Christian Weltanshauung and Psychology – The Nature Of Mankind (#1)

Psychology is interested in what it means to be human. Worldview beliefs about the nature of Mankind flow from your beliefs about  God and the accuracy of the Bible. The Bible has much to say about what it means to be human. Biblical anthropology is an important part of the Christian worldview and is fundamental to studying psychology.

Biblical Anthropology or the Biblical Doctrine of Man is the study of what the Bible says about what it means to be human, what is human nature, and what does in means to have psuche. Biblical anthropology is interested in what it means to be the purposeful creation of God -- made in His image and likeness.

In Genesis we learn that God formed man of the dust of the ground. We are part of the natural order. As such, we have much in common with the animals. We have brains and bodies. Physically, we are like the animals, we even share DNA with animals. We are born, we grow old, and our bodies eventually die

However, like God and unlike the animals, we are spiritual beings. Unlike the animals, we have moral discernment, freedom to choose, and responsibility for our behavior. We are creative and we exercise dominion. We experience guilt, grace, and love. We were created to be in relationships, with God and with families and in societies. We have consciousness, a mind, and a soul.