Body Parts: A Theological Anthropology

231 Pages·2017·4.89 MB·English

by  Michelle Voss Roberts

A new understanding of the human condition BODY PARTS
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Christians have traditionally claimed that humans are created in the image of God
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(imago Dei), but they have consistently defined that image in ways that exclude people s
A Theological Anthropology
from full humanity. The most well-known definition locates the image in the rational s

soul, which is constructed in such a way that women, children, and many people with R
disabilities are found deficient. Body Parts claims the importance of embodiment, dif- o MICHELLE VOSS ROBERTS
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ference, and limitation—not only as descriptions of the human condition but also as
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part of the imago Dei itself.
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This thesis is inspired by a parallel claim in an Indian tradition that posits the reflection s
of the divine body in humanity. Its thirty-six parts invite Christians to consider how
consciousness, limitations, mental and emotional capacities, organs of sensation and
action, and elements are reflections of divinity. Each chapter pursues openings in the
Christian theological tradition in order to imagine these sets of “body parts” as the B
image of God.
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Praise for Body Parts
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“Once again, Michelle Voss Roberts has given us a well-crafted example of how
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to do Christian theology by means of a careful study of another religious tradi-
tion. She reflects on the meaning of humankind as created in the image of God
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in light of Hindu teachings on the body. Body Parts is an important contribu-
tion not only to comparative theology but also to the theology of disability. Don’t A
miss this book.”
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James L. Fredericks
professor emeritus, Loyola Marymount University T
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“Body Parts skillfully combines Christian theological learning with deep sen-
sitivity to the human condition to create a rich perspective on the fundamen-

tal yet often misunderstood reality of human embodiment. Voss Roberts draws
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on Christian sources—ably nuanced through her reading of Saiva Hindu T
traditions—to reflect wisely on the wondrous yet always fragile unity of body h
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and soul that makes us who we are. Inspired by her teaching and classroom o
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conversations, Body Parts is blessed with an accessible and conversational tone g
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throughout. It will be a valued resource in seminary and college classrooms.” c
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Francis X. Clooney, SJ A
Harvard University n
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MICHELLE VOSS ROBERTS is associate dean for academic affairs and associate p
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professor of theology at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. Her earlier books l
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include Tastes of the Divine: Hindu and Christian Theologies of Emotion (2014), g
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which received the Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion (Constructive/
Reflective Studies) from the American Academy of Religion.
CONSTRUCTIVE THEOLOGY
Body Parts

Body Parts
A Theological Anthropology
MICHELLE VOSS ROBERTS
FORTRESS PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS
BODY PARTS
A Theological Anthropology
Copyright © 2017 Fortress Press. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in
critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner
without prior written permission from the publisher. Email [email protected]
or write to Permissions, Fortress Press, PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209.
Excerpts fromMeister Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises, and
Defense,from The Classics of Western Spirituality, translated and introduced by
Edmund Colledge and Bernard McGinn, Copyright 1981 by the Missionary Society
of St. Paul the Apostle in the State of New York, Paulist Press, Inc. New York/
Mahwah, N.J. Used with permission of Paulist Press.www.paulistpress.com.
This research was undertaken with support of a Summer Stipend award from the
National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or
recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the
National Endowment for the Humanities.
Cover image: Eurydice 2014 by artist Freya Jobbins © 2017 Artists Rights Society
(ARS), New York / VISCOPY, Australia
Cover design: Rob Dewey
Print ISBN: 978-1-5064-1856-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-5064-1857-5
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSI Z329.48-1984.
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
For My Students

Contents
Abbreviations ix
A Note on Diacritics xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Preface xvii
Introduction xxiii
1. The Conscious Body 1
2. The Limited Body (Part 1) 29
3. The Limited Body (Part 2) 53
4. The Subjective Body 77
5. The Engaged Body 101
6. The Elemental Body 125
Epilogue: The Eschatological Body 151
Bibliography 159
Index 173

Abbreviations
PTv Paratrisika-Vivarana—long commentary onThe Goddess of the Threeby
Abhinavagupta
PTlv Paratrisika-laghuvrtti—short commentary onThe Goddess of the Three,
traditionally attributed to Abhinavagupta
References to the Bible follow the New Revised Standard Version, unless otherwise
noted.