Positive or Negative Anthropology?

Why would anyone belong to any organization that told them that they were bad, evil, flawed, broken, unable and ignorant? Would persons rather not know that they are good, skilled, talented, empowered, enabled, potential, and relied upon?

Seemingly not. At least, not just yet.

In preparing a schematic for the theological differences between traditional church "orthodoxy to the law" and the Progressive Church "theology of grace," I listed under "Anthropology" a negative for the traditional, law-based theological system and a positive for the Progressive Church.

In last night's Discovery Time (contemporary, non-traditional) service at Shiloh Church, I noted the negative and positive anthropologies of the different ways of understanding baptism. Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins is founded on a negative anthropology. It says that humans are inherently sinful, originally flawed, naturally unable to do God's will. They stand in need of a rite or ritual, an elixir or ceremony, that fixes them, that repairs their inherent illness. That elixir is provided by water baptism. The alternative is, of course, a spiritual baptism. In the case or spiritual baptism, humans are empowered, enabled, called and sent. All humans become "beloved sons and daughters of God," upon whom God may rely and through whom God's will is faithfully represented on Earth.

A theology of law or orthodoxy requires a negative anthropology. It demands that persons see themselves in need of repair, inherently broken, unrelentingly sinful. It provides for sacraments, rites, rituals and liturgies that promise to repair the inherent human flaw and promises that their practice renders one just good enough to earn eternal reward. "Whew! Just made it!"

A theology of grace demands a positive anthropology. A theology of grace requires that we understand humans as able, skilled, talented, inspired, equipped, called, having a vocation in life, faithful and gifted. Baptism is entree into utilizing the gifts of the Spirit to bring God's will as our way of life on Earth. Human beings can. Because of the Holy Spirit, they are able. As a result of the free gift of God's Spirit, human being share a common vocation and calling. They share a unified purpose and aim for life. Humans are to use the gifts, talent, creativity and imagination that each and all are given in odder to bring about a way of life that better reflects God's will for every person in every place.

Yet, people want to argue with a positive anthropology. People tend to cling to the old, familiar negativity of a theology of law and orthodoxy. In the Progressive Church movement, we fully acknowledge that none of us is a perfect reflection of God's will. We are not called to perfection. We are simply called to utilize the gifts that God has made available to us, as best we are able, to establish an alternative way of life that reflects the ethic of Christ and the heavenly virtues by which he lived and ministered.

I would argue that we cannot do so from a negative understanding of human nature. We cannot establish an alternative, Godly life-style if we are mired in the negativity of law and orthodoxy. May God someday set us free from the law and orthodoxy of the church's past, in order that we may live boldly into the world's future grace.