Bioethics & Human Dignity
2009-11-01
After much delay, I return to the long-promised summary essays drawn from my slowly developing work on the sanctity of life (forthcoming from Eerdmans). Prior essays offered an overview of what I mean by the sanctity of life and what the Old Testament contributes to an understanding of life's sanctity. In this essay, I face the joyful but demanding task of distilling a number of profound New Testament themes that contribute profoundly to a broad, holistic understanding of the worth of human life in God's sight.
I want to suggest that the New Testament affirms the immeasurable value of human life in four primary ways: (1) its depiction of Jesus' kingdom ministry, (2) the theological implications of the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, (3) the impact of Jesus Christ on the human condition, especially in the lives of those who are his followers, and (4) its depiction of the expansive reach and inclusive ethos of early Christian communities.