September/October 2024

I recently heard the history of theology summarised like this: in the first millennium we settled what we believed about God and in the second millennium we settled what we believed about salvation. Then the person suggested that in this third millennium, which we are 24 years into, we will settle what we believe about humanity. It is of course a vast oversimplification but the question of what it means to be human is not merely a discussion we’re having in the church, but in the world as well. From identity politics to artificial intelligence, mental health, the beginning or end of life and more, much is on the table, all up for discussion. What does it really mean to be human?

This edition, in which we tackle the topic of humanity, is of course not expected to settle the discussion once and for all. Our hope is that it will in some way make us aware of the core teaching of Scripture and its application to our contemporary lives. Setting out our foundational truths, we have Alistair Chalmers exploring how we are made in God’s image. Drawing out our significance from Psalm 8, Andy Christofides asks ‘What is humanity?’ and John Woolley points us to the humanity of Christ as our clearest model. Matthew Mason tackles the transhumanist agenda of utilising technology to overcome all our weaknesses and limits. As humans, we are designed for community, which Ewan Jones considers, and we’re also designed to rest, which is taken on by Deborah and John-Mark Mullan. Finally, as a lot of this impacts our young people, Hannah Mitchell explains the better identity found by being in Christ.

As if that weren’t enough, we have plenty of other articles on offer. Continuing our non-stop tour of church history, Sarah Allen brings to us the fascinating story of the evangelist Rebecca Protten. Andrew Bowden explains his use of art to convey God’s glory and prompt conversations as he paints. Continuing our ‘Why don’t you…?’ questions, Pat Norbury encourages us to practise hospitality and Mark Meynell shares the most impactful book he has read. We are delighted to be able to share about the work that Vision of Hope undertakes, the new app that Catrin Trollope has been developing for the EMW, and a fantastic extract on prayer by Abraham Kuyper, finishing with our usual news and reviews.