The Christian Idea of Man

Being brought up in the 21st century must be just about the most confusing time to be man. Of course our use of "man" does not exclude woman, but such is the confusion of our time that the uproarious clamor for equality manifests itself as a battle cry for exclusivity and inclusivity at the same time. Above the Oracle of Delphi is the exhortation "know thyself"!The Christian Idea of Man is an excellent starting point for beginning to answer the questions who am I? What am I? What does it mean to be human? What is my purpose? As a society verging on the global village our contemporary answers are far from satisfying. The misery that results from misconceptions about what it is to be a man should be readily apparent even to the dullest among us. Unfortunately, the media, universities, teachers and politicians don't have the benefit of humility that the dullest among us have and thus, the truth about our condition remains painfully distant from our apprehension. Think of the disasters of the utopias initiated by Stalin, Mao, Castro and many more at the bidding of Marx, Lenin, Hegel, Freud et al. Unprecedented murder, torture and totalitarian control. Eugenics and abortion are the fruit of that tree and it is going so poorly for us on that score that we are forced to listen to Mother Theresa's adage "a society that kills its own unborn children is not worth saving."Joseph Pieper lays out for us the foundational tenets of the Christian idea of Man. This very short and accessible book covers much ground and its primary source is St. Thomas Aquinas, whose primary source is of course the Logos; the revealed word of God. This book has the potential to disabuse one whose mind has perhaps been poisoned by the narcodrine drip of modern thought. If man has a purpose, this book goes a long way to starting the dialogue to understanding. The end of the Christian Idea of Man is the Good Life, the only truly good life available to us.This book can easily be read at a sitting, but here patience is a virtue and slowing things down a bit is highly advised. This book can be seen as a hub to countless spokes that ought to be followed to complete an understanding of the Christian Idea of Man.

Packed with pithy statements and good summaries of virtue ethics as synthesized and perfected by Thomas Aquinas. Pieper has made his way onto my favorite authors list.

Fine, short, but very clear exposition of the Christian idea of Man. Buy it for your children, relatives, friends ...

accessible for contemporary college age students, fine distinctions.

Good