Becoming Human: Meditations on Christian Anthropology in Word and Image

This is a beautiful little book, a collage of words and images that speak to the mind, the imagination, the heart. Clearly this has been a labor of love for the author. Every word, every citation, every picture and icon has been so carefully chosen and arranged. Each page is an artistic composition. In these simple meditations (or should I call them poems?), Fr John Behr, Dean of St Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary, speaks to us from the depth of his spiritual experience and patristic erudition to introduce us to what it means to become authentically human in the incarnate Son. He weaves together citations from the Scriptures, the Church Fathers and ascetics, and liturgical hymnody into a profound reflection on our life in Christ. This is a book to be read slowly and contemplatively, a book to be savored, a book to be prayed. Life and death. Birth and rebirth. Sin and salvation. Male and Female. Sinner and Saint. Everything that is human is brought into the enfleshed and risen Christ---all to the end that we might become human in the God who became Human. Fr John opens his meditations with the famous words of St Irenaeus of Lyons, "The glory of God is a living human being." He closes his meditations with a simple question, "Are we ready now to live?"

The Rev. Dr. John Behr presents a simple and transformational truth about the Cross and its implications through tracing the experience of the apostles and the church's earliest martyrs, most notably St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, whose letter to his fellow Christians, discourages them from preventing his death. He is preparing for eternal life, and the implications are startling but also comforting for all preparing for death and whose focus is on their faith in rejoining God in the afterlife. His "birth pangs" that he experiences en route to Rome where he is to die is stunning. Rather than seeming like the meaning of the cross has been reinterpreted, one can see that the meaning was there all along! The author provides deeply enriching scripture, history, traditions, and meditations that help us see that "Becoming Human" is helping us cope with the deepest problem of life, that we will in fact die. Rev. Behr seems to shows that Christ's answer our greatest anxiety found in Ernest Becker's "Denial of Death" is to transform death and preparing us for life through death--one of human's and theology's greatest paradoxes. A rare and penetrating work!

A beautiful little book. The perfect book to take on a weekend retreat. A meditation on life, love, death and resurrection. Generously illustrated with ancient icons, medieval manuscripts, and some thought provoking contemporary art.

My expectations for the content of the book were different because of recommendations from others but disregarding my expectations, it is a good book and useful as meditation.

I was very impressed that fr John Behr was able to condense this amount of serious scholarship into what effectively is a coffee table book full of pictures and the text broken up into light poetic prose. Despite teaching serious scholarship on the anthropology of the early Church and a deep theological meaning, it is also easily accessible by almost any reader. Just one a educational and pedagogical level I found the book to be very impressive.

I was hesitant of purchasing this book because of the price. All things being equal, it is overpriced despite the quality of the binding and paper. I had listened to a number of lectures by Rev. Behr on this topic and wasn't sure I wanted to buy what I already had on free video. After receiving the book, about 5" x 5" in size, I was a bit concerned. Then seeing that there is much white space on the pages, I was more concerned that I had overpaid more than I speculated. But I began reading and was absorbed instantly. I read the book three times in three weeks, adding personal notes and Scripture references each time, always finding new thoughts that truly have moved and excited me. This will be an annual read, and since I will be teaching from "On the Incarnation" starting in February, this book will be a follow-up (part 2 of the class series) regarding bearing the fruits of the Incarnation.

You can 'hear' the authors voice. A very good first step to a more holistic and authentic view of the gospel. Just beautifully written and illustrated with classic icons that compliment; the old world has some beauty!

Love this book. The level of depth for such a small book is worth so much more than many larger books combined. It makes an excellent book to have on your table the rest of your life to pick up and remember the journey to become a human being.

Beautiful book. Explains spiritual and physical sexuality in such lovely terms. That we are made individually to emulate and relate to our creator. Chosen individually gender exclusively to show love and reach up into Gods arms and be loved. I love Father Behr. Very small book - pocket size. Beautiful illustration. I now want an in-depth study on it!

Excellent exposition of essential Orthodox theology, in a beautifully produced book. Highly reccomended.

A very thought provoking book which the reader can dip in & out of. Interesting author Devon

Short and wonderful. What is it to be a Christian?

good