Are humans composed of a body and a nonmaterial mind or soul, or are we purely physical beings? Opinion is sharply
divided over this issue. In this clear and concise book, Nancey Murphy argues for a physicalist account, but one
that does not diminish traditional views of humans as rational, moral, and capable of relating to God. This position
is motivated not only by developments in science and philosophy, but also by biblical studies and Christian theology.
The reader is invited to appreciate the ways in which organisms are more than the sum of their parts. That higher
human capacities such as morality, free will, and religious awareness emerge from our neurobiological complexity
and develop through our relation to others, to our cultural inheritance, and, most importantly, to God. Murphy
addresses the questions of human uniqueness, religious experience, and personal identity before and after bodily
resurrection.
Addresses human nature from the perspectives of philosophy, science, and Christian theology
Murphy defends a �nonreductive physicalist� account of human nature
A valuable contribution to the science-theology dialogue
Table of Contents
1. Do Christians need souls?: theological and biblical perspectives on human nature
2. What does science say about human nature?: physics, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience
3. Did my neurons make me do it?: reductionism, morality, and the problem of free will
4. What are the philosophical challenges?: human distinctives, divine action, and personal identity.