Alone in the World? [Hardcover]

Van Huyssteen (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 365 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (April 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802832466
• ISBN-13: 978-0802832467
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #891,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars from William B. Eerdmans, May 8, 2006

By 

S. McDonald "Library World" (Independence, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alone in the World? (Hardcover)

The author develops the interdisciplinary dialogue that he set out in The Shaping of Rationality (1999), applying this methodology to the uncharted waters between theological anthropology and paleoanthropology. Among other things, the author argues that scientific notions of human uniqueness help to ground theological notions of human distinctiveness in flesh-and-blood, embodied experiences and protects from overly complex theological abstractions regarding the "image of God." Focusing on the interdisciplinary problem of human origins and distinctiveness, the author accesses the origins of the embodied human mind through the spectacular prehistoric cave paintings of western Europe, fifteen of which are reproduced in color in this volume. Boldly connecting the widely separated fields of Christian theology an paleoanthropology through careful interdisciplinary reflection, this book will encourage sustained investigation into the question of human uniqueness.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating discussion of half the story, April 11, 2011

By 

Les Brighton (Christchurch, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alone in the World? (Hardcover)

A general summary of the book's contents is provided in other reviews, so I won't repeat that material here. I found three things of particular value: (1) A nuanced and extremely helpful discussion of how theological and interdisciplinary thought and dialogue can go forward in a post-foundationalist environment. (2) A splendid survey of the ideas of a wide range of thinkers: theologians, scientists and evolutionary epistemologists on the question of what makes humans human. The book is very much in the nature of a review and upacking of the ideas of others. Although there is some evaluation and drawing of conclusions, there are few new ideas or suggestions from Van Huyssteen himself. It is extremely helpful to have all this material drawn together in one place, but don't expect a dramatically original thesis at the end. (3) The understanding of human being as embodied, evolved reality is very helpful, especially in contrast to the free-floating abstract theories of the Imago Dei that Van Huyssteen catalogues but in general does not endorse. Alongside this positive comment I should note my slight uneasiness at the ease with which Van Huyssteen, alongside a number of contemporary theologians, buys in without any apparent reservations to the whole naturalistic evolutionary narrative. While not wanting to return to a naively instrumental understanding of creation, the truth is we know so very little so far about processes. In my view we are in danger of taking as definitively established a view of evolutionary process that in its detail is still only very partial, and thus tying ourselves to a naturalistic coat-tail that in 10 or 20 years' time may well be demonstrably inadequate on the basis of scientific discovery itself.
The emphasis of the Gifford Lectures commission is upon natural theology, and so one expects an argument rooted in the natural world and the sciences. However, considering that the word `theology' is present in the title this volume is striking in its almost complete anthropocentric focus. God is only on the far margins of the discussion, a kind of phantom presence. There is no attempt to link what can be known about human being (upon which there is in the book much very helpful reflection) to what can be known about God: for example what it might mean for our understanding of God that God addresses human beings, engaging with their distinctive understanding and rationality; or, even more significantly, is able to become incarnate in the embodied evolved hominid that is homo sapiens in order to transform the failures and limitations of human being, and bring us into the life that is God's intention for us. It may be that Van Huyssteen sits a little lightly to these central ideas of Christianity: at one point he notes that "In Western civilization Christianity still provides an important source of meaning for many of us, even though the centuries-old monopoly of Christianity is certainly under increasing pressure today." (p.292) This seems a rather limp affirmation from a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, but perhaps explains the `elephant in the room' sense one gets whenever the object of human religious consciousness is alluded to.
A final comment about style. Van Huyssteen has a cultured and gentlemanly manner, but his style is dense, filled with circumlocutions, qualifications and an adjective or two tacked onto every noun. Theological reflection is always deep, cave images are always spectacular, or famous, or highly exceptional, and so on. It is sometimes quite hard work to wade through all this to what Van Huyssteen is saying, and to keep your mind focused on the main line of argument that lies beneath all the grace notes. It is definitely worth the effort to do so, but prospective readers need to be prepared!