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Becoming Human: Meditations on Christian Anthropology in Word and Image
This book reflects upon various dimensions and implications of the astounding fact that Christ shows us what it is to be God by the way he dies as a human being and, in so doing, simultaneously shows us what it is to be a human being. Connecting the end -"It is finished"- with the beginning - "Let us make a human being"-
Fr John Behr challenges us to think again about who we are, as male and female, what we are called to become, and the relation between life and death in this journey. Presented in a poetic and meditative manner, adorned by images and offset quotations, this book inclines the reader towards a meditative reading, weighing, rather than skimming, each word and image.
Fr John Behr challenges us to think again about who we are, as male and female, what we are called to become, and the relation between life and death in this journey. Presented in a poetic and meditative manner, adorned by images and offset quotations, this book inclines the reader towards a meditative reading, weighing, rather than skimming, each word and image.
136 pages, Hardcover
First published September 23, 2013
12 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
John Behr
66 books102 followersFr John Behr is Regius Professor of Humanity at the University of Aberdeen. He previously taught at St Vladimir’s Seminary, where he served as Dean from 2007-17; he is also the Metropolitan Kallistos Chair of Orthodox Theology at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Center for Orthodox Theology.
Fr John hails from England, though his family background is Russian and German – and clerical on both sides. From the Russian side, his great-grandfather was sent to London by Metropolian Evlogy to serve there as a priest in 1926; his father was also a priest, ordained by Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom), as are his brother (at St Paul’s Monastery on Mt Athos) and his brother-in-law (Sts Cyril and Methodius, Terryville, CT). His maternal grandparents met at Karl Barth’s graduate seminar in Basel, and served in the Lutheran Church in Germany, where his grandfather was a Lutheran pastor.
After completing his first degree in Philosophy in London in 1987, Fr. John spent a year studying in Greece. He finished an M.Phil. in Eastern Christian Studies at Oxford University, under Bishop Kallistos (Ware), who subsequently supervised his doctoral work, which was examined by Fr. Andrew Louth and Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. While working on his doctorate, he was invited to be a Visiting Lecturer at St Vladimir’s Seminary in 1993, where he has been a permanent faculty member since 1995, tenured in 2000, and ordained in 2001. Before becoming Dean in 2007, he served as the editor of St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, and he still edits the Popular Patristics Series for SVS Press.
His doctoral work was on issues of asceticism and anthropology, focusing on St Irenaeus of Lyons and Clement of Alexandria, and was published by Oxford University Press (2000). After spending almost a decade in the second century, Fr John began the publication of a series on the Formation of Christian Theology (The Way to Nicaea, SVS Press 2001, and The Nicene Faith, SVS Press 2003). Synthesizing these studies, is the book The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death (SVS Press, 2003). In preparation for further volumes of his Formation series, Fr John edited and translated the fragments of Diodore of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia, setting them in their historical and theological context (OUP 2011). More recently Fr John published a more poetic and meditative work entitled Becoming Human: Theological Anthropology in Word and Image (SVS Press, 2013) and a full study of St Irenaeus: St Irenaeus of Lyons: Identifying Christianity (OUP, 2013). Most recently he has completed a new critical edition and translation of Origen’s On First Principles, together with an extensive introduction, for OUP (2017), and John the Theologian and His Paschal Gospel: A Prologue to Theology (OUP 2019). He is currently working on a new edition and translation of the works of Irenaeus.
His other passion is cycling, especially restoring and riding vintage bicycles including a historic Hetchins and a Dursley Pedersen. The Tour de France dominates the Behr family life during July, dictating the scheduling of important family events. Fr John’s wife, a Tour de France enthusiast and armchair cyclist, teaches English at a nearby college, and their two sons and daughter are being taught to appreciate the finer points of French culture: the great “constructeurs” of the last century, La Grande Boucle, and … cheese.
Fr John hails from England, though his family background is Russian and German – and clerical on both sides. From the Russian side, his great-grandfather was sent to London by Metropolian Evlogy to serve there as a priest in 1926; his father was also a priest, ordained by Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom), as are his brother (at St Paul’s Monastery on Mt Athos) and his brother-in-law (Sts Cyril and Methodius, Terryville, CT). His maternal grandparents met at Karl Barth’s graduate seminar in Basel, and served in the Lutheran Church in Germany, where his grandfather was a Lutheran pastor.
After completing his first degree in Philosophy in London in 1987, Fr. John spent a year studying in Greece. He finished an M.Phil. in Eastern Christian Studies at Oxford University, under Bishop Kallistos (Ware), who subsequently supervised his doctoral work, which was examined by Fr. Andrew Louth and Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. While working on his doctorate, he was invited to be a Visiting Lecturer at St Vladimir’s Seminary in 1993, where he has been a permanent faculty member since 1995, tenured in 2000, and ordained in 2001. Before becoming Dean in 2007, he served as the editor of St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, and he still edits the Popular Patristics Series for SVS Press.
His doctoral work was on issues of asceticism and anthropology, focusing on St Irenaeus of Lyons and Clement of Alexandria, and was published by Oxford University Press (2000). After spending almost a decade in the second century, Fr John began the publication of a series on the Formation of Christian Theology (The Way to Nicaea, SVS Press 2001, and The Nicene Faith, SVS Press 2003). Synthesizing these studies, is the book The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death (SVS Press, 2003). In preparation for further volumes of his Formation series, Fr John edited and translated the fragments of Diodore of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia, setting them in their historical and theological context (OUP 2011). More recently Fr John published a more poetic and meditative work entitled Becoming Human: Theological Anthropology in Word and Image (SVS Press, 2013) and a full study of St Irenaeus: St Irenaeus of Lyons: Identifying Christianity (OUP, 2013). Most recently he has completed a new critical edition and translation of Origen’s On First Principles, together with an extensive introduction, for OUP (2017), and John the Theologian and His Paschal Gospel: A Prologue to Theology (OUP 2019). He is currently working on a new edition and translation of the works of Irenaeus.
His other passion is cycling, especially restoring and riding vintage bicycles including a historic Hetchins and a Dursley Pedersen. The Tour de France dominates the Behr family life during July, dictating the scheduling of important family events. Fr John’s wife, a Tour de France enthusiast and armchair cyclist, teaches English at a nearby college, and their two sons and daughter are being taught to appreciate the finer points of French culture: the great “constructeurs” of the last century, La Grande Boucle, and … cheese.
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March 6, 2022A lovely book of meditations on the incarnation. Father Behr suggests that it is in dying that we truly live -- dying to self, dying to sin, and dying on behalf of another. This is a book to savor.
October 25, 2020
How much do I like this book? Well, I briefly considered reducing all my previous ratings by one star so this one could have its rightful place alone at the top. It's that good. Read it slowly. Take time to meditate and absorb it. Reread it, because there's too much here to take in at once.
It's not necessarily an easy read, but it's accessible if you're willing to engage it. This is a serious work of theology and anthropology, but it's designed to be read as a devotional, not a textbook. It's a work of beauty.
It's not necessarily an easy read, but it's accessible if you're willing to engage it. This is a serious work of theology and anthropology, but it's designed to be read as a devotional, not a textbook. It's a work of beauty.
February 27, 2022
A beautiful little book. Short and one would likely be able to read in one sitting but I think written more for meditation. I will likely return to it for this purpose.
Presents the uniqueness of humans as made in God’s image. The human being is the ‘glory of God’. Death to oneself is the starting place of the Christian life. One must die in order to live - for God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. Following Irenaeus, Behr teaches us that God created us to grow - not simply through procreation - rather, distinct from other bios. We were made to grow into Christ, to say Fiat, Let it be - this is what it means to become human.
I loved his presentation on male and female. That God made male and female to teach us to love one more than ourselves. It is the first ‘martyrdom’. Love of spouse teaches us to die to ourselves. Quite beautiful.
Presents the uniqueness of humans as made in God’s image. The human being is the ‘glory of God’. Death to oneself is the starting place of the Christian life. One must die in order to live - for God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. Following Irenaeus, Behr teaches us that God created us to grow - not simply through procreation - rather, distinct from other bios. We were made to grow into Christ, to say Fiat, Let it be - this is what it means to become human.
I loved his presentation on male and female. That God made male and female to teach us to love one more than ourselves. It is the first ‘martyrdom’. Love of spouse teaches us to die to ourselves. Quite beautiful.
December 19, 2024
It’s difficult to rate books from a different tradition than my own, and this little book of reflections on Becoming Human is no exception. That being said, my soul was enlarged and my spirit well instructed by Behr’s meditations.
To put it in a succinct, summative way that is uncharacteristic of the extended meditations of Behr and the East: we only become fully human when we die in Christ. Whether the martyrs giving themselves in the arena, the monks relinquishing desire in the monastery, or those called to marriage becoming one flesh in matrimony, the calling of Christ is to die, and through death, to live. In other words, the task of “Let us make man…” is only completed with “Behold, the human being” and “It is finished.”
To put it in a succinct, summative way that is uncharacteristic of the extended meditations of Behr and the East: we only become fully human when we die in Christ. Whether the martyrs giving themselves in the arena, the monks relinquishing desire in the monastery, or those called to marriage becoming one flesh in matrimony, the calling of Christ is to die, and through death, to live. In other words, the task of “Let us make man…” is only completed with “Behold, the human being” and “It is finished.”
February 20, 2024
The arrangement of text, images, and quotes in this book is unusual but I think it works, creating an immersive way to get an unusual grasp of Eastern Orthodox anthropology. I’m glad for it.
June 9, 2023
Definitely a book I’ll read again!
December 29, 2019
Beautiful little book. Make sure to buy the hard copy
September 9, 2025
Notes from second read:
I only just read it for the first time last week, but I wanted to revisit it again this week because it’s so good. Probably a book I will treasure for years to come. Wonderful meditations on God’s project of making us into fully living humans. Behr offers a very unique reading of the Scriptures and notes many unique textual interconnections as he explores the themes of creation and recreation. In Christ’s passion, we learn what it means to be God by the way Jesus delivers himself up. Also, Irenaues, Origen, Maximus the Confessor, and John of Damascus are probably the most influence patristic figures on my own thought, and all 4 of these figures play a pivotal role in the content of this book—especially Irenaeus and Maximus.
“This book reflects upon various dimensions and implications of the astounding fact that Christ shows us what it is to be God by the way he dies as a human being and, in so doing, simultaneously shows us what it is to be a human being, freely choosing to ground our life and existence in the self-sacrificial love that is God's.”
Notes from first read:
Probably the best, most beautiful, and most thought-provoking theological work I have read this year! Behr’s insights are a game changer for think Christianly about anthropology, death, and the incarnation. His allegorical and holistic reading of the biblical text is rich and challenging to our contemporary hermeneutical inclinations. I would not subscribe to all of his biblical interpretation, but this work certainly shows us an approach to the biblical texts that are very much in the vain of patristic hermeneutics. This is also a work of devotional meditations on theology, but it is easily the most profound work of devotional theology I have ever read. Every page and sentence requires deep pondering, and I am going to reread this in the very near future! Irenaeus, Ignatius of Antioch, and Maximus the Confessor are definitely the key influences on Behr’s theology here. Some very interesting insights about what it means to be male and female here that escape the conventional debates between complementarians and egalitarians today. Oh, and there are wonderful pieces of art throughout the book depicting key biblical scenes or human wrestlings with death that further enhance the aesthetic value of this book.
It’s hard to summarize some of Behr’s points in this very tightly written text, so I am just going to include some impactful quotes below:
“As we will see, it is rather because he conquers death by his death that he enables all men and women also to use their our mortality to come to life in him.
This is the heart of the theology defended by the councils. That which we see in the crucified and risen Christ, as proclaimed by the apostles through the words drawn from Scripture-from the prophecies and the accounts, the poetry and the prayers— that is what it is to be God, this is the heart of the faith defended in the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in the fourth century.”
“The heart of the definition of the Council of Chalcedon is that what it is to be human and what it is to be God—death and life—are seen in one concrete being (hypostasis), with one ‘face’ (prosopon). That is, we do not look at one being to see God and another to see man. No! Both are revealed together—‘“without
confusion, change, division, separation.’”
“The Church which came from the side of the crucified Christ—pouring out as the blood and the water when he was pierced is foreshadowed by the
formation of Eve from the side of Adam when he was asleep, the sleep which foreshadowed Christ's own sleep in death.”
“As Israel leaving Egypt (the Biblical image of a world hostile to the God of Israel), sacrificing the lamb, passing through the waters, entering the desert, being nourished by manna, and journeying to the promised land—we now follow Christ by leaving the "Egypt" of this world, through baptism, nourished by the Eucharist, striving to enter into the promised land.”
I only just read it for the first time last week, but I wanted to revisit it again this week because it’s so good. Probably a book I will treasure for years to come. Wonderful meditations on God’s project of making us into fully living humans. Behr offers a very unique reading of the Scriptures and notes many unique textual interconnections as he explores the themes of creation and recreation. In Christ’s passion, we learn what it means to be God by the way Jesus delivers himself up. Also, Irenaues, Origen, Maximus the Confessor, and John of Damascus are probably the most influence patristic figures on my own thought, and all 4 of these figures play a pivotal role in the content of this book—especially Irenaeus and Maximus.
“This book reflects upon various dimensions and implications of the astounding fact that Christ shows us what it is to be God by the way he dies as a human being and, in so doing, simultaneously shows us what it is to be a human being, freely choosing to ground our life and existence in the self-sacrificial love that is God's.”
Notes from first read:
Probably the best, most beautiful, and most thought-provoking theological work I have read this year! Behr’s insights are a game changer for think Christianly about anthropology, death, and the incarnation. His allegorical and holistic reading of the biblical text is rich and challenging to our contemporary hermeneutical inclinations. I would not subscribe to all of his biblical interpretation, but this work certainly shows us an approach to the biblical texts that are very much in the vain of patristic hermeneutics. This is also a work of devotional meditations on theology, but it is easily the most profound work of devotional theology I have ever read. Every page and sentence requires deep pondering, and I am going to reread this in the very near future! Irenaeus, Ignatius of Antioch, and Maximus the Confessor are definitely the key influences on Behr’s theology here. Some very interesting insights about what it means to be male and female here that escape the conventional debates between complementarians and egalitarians today. Oh, and there are wonderful pieces of art throughout the book depicting key biblical scenes or human wrestlings with death that further enhance the aesthetic value of this book.
It’s hard to summarize some of Behr’s points in this very tightly written text, so I am just going to include some impactful quotes below:
“As we will see, it is rather because he conquers death by his death that he enables all men and women also to use their our mortality to come to life in him.
This is the heart of the theology defended by the councils. That which we see in the crucified and risen Christ, as proclaimed by the apostles through the words drawn from Scripture-from the prophecies and the accounts, the poetry and the prayers— that is what it is to be God, this is the heart of the faith defended in the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in the fourth century.”
“The heart of the definition of the Council of Chalcedon is that what it is to be human and what it is to be God—death and life—are seen in one concrete being (hypostasis), with one ‘face’ (prosopon). That is, we do not look at one being to see God and another to see man. No! Both are revealed together—‘“without
confusion, change, division, separation.’”
“The Church which came from the side of the crucified Christ—pouring out as the blood and the water when he was pierced is foreshadowed by the
formation of Eve from the side of Adam when he was asleep, the sleep which foreshadowed Christ's own sleep in death.”
“As Israel leaving Egypt (the Biblical image of a world hostile to the God of Israel), sacrificing the lamb, passing through the waters, entering the desert, being nourished by manna, and journeying to the promised land—we now follow Christ by leaving the "Egypt" of this world, through baptism, nourished by the Eucharist, striving to enter into the promised land.”
November 26, 2023
I would rate this probably 4.5 if i could, but not to round up to 5 per se. Not because it isn’t a great and creative short mediation on an Eastern Orthodox understanding of theological anthropology. But because I do think it’s more useful after reading, say, Behr’s “The Mystery of Christ” first in order to help western leaning thinkers become more acquainted with concepts in a similar non-threatening way.
Regardless: I will be adding this book to our collection of Advent and Lenten reading materials 😊
Regardless: I will be adding this book to our collection of Advent and Lenten reading materials 😊
March 27, 2024
Audience
General
Christian
Theological Background Needed
Academics
The author, Fr. John Behr, has done a great job making what is his specialty accessible to a broader audience. One need not be a Christian to read this text, but to appreciate the themes, references to scripture, Biblical figures, etc, a background in Christianity (though not formal training) will help.
Difficulty in Reading
* = bottom 25% (low difficulty)
** = 50% (mid-difficulty)
*** =75% (high-difficulty)
**** = top category (high field experience needed)
Textually the text is not a difficult or long read. Its very approachable. Many readers find the need to re-read sections as there's a profundity to certain statements and elements that escape an initial reading
Re-readability
*= one and done
** = worth the re-read to get the concepts down
*** = build a discussion group around it
**** = go to text on the subject
This isn't written as the authoritative text on the concepts presented. But as they are presented, as a meditation and a prayer, the book is not only easy to engage, but a great text to build discussions around. I've read this text with many people now and consistently find it uplifting myself each time, and each new audience seems excited to engage it as well.
Depth of concepts
*= single concept or concepts need development
** = single concept developed in depth or multiple worthy concepts presented that initiate good conversation
*** = multiple concepts developed thoughtfully
**** = multiple concepts developed with depth and research
Multiple worthy concepts are developed that initiate good conversation. As this is a distillation of some of his larger works, the reader feels aware that there is much more that can be said, and that this little text does a good job sign posting to those deeper realities, while giving one something to chew on in the immediate sense.
Conclusion
This is a worthy read for someone interested in deeper Christian theology but doesn't have a good starting point or the background to do so. Its great for group discussions. It will introduce one to the oldest theologies of the Church. Its written beautifully, connecting all the dots between history, theology, imagery.
General
Christian
Theological Background Needed
Academics
The author, Fr. John Behr, has done a great job making what is his specialty accessible to a broader audience. One need not be a Christian to read this text, but to appreciate the themes, references to scripture, Biblical figures, etc, a background in Christianity (though not formal training) will help.
Difficulty in Reading
* = bottom 25% (low difficulty)
** = 50% (mid-difficulty)
*** =75% (high-difficulty)
**** = top category (high field experience needed)
Textually the text is not a difficult or long read. Its very approachable. Many readers find the need to re-read sections as there's a profundity to certain statements and elements that escape an initial reading
Re-readability
*= one and done
** = worth the re-read to get the concepts down
*** = build a discussion group around it
**** = go to text on the subject
This isn't written as the authoritative text on the concepts presented. But as they are presented, as a meditation and a prayer, the book is not only easy to engage, but a great text to build discussions around. I've read this text with many people now and consistently find it uplifting myself each time, and each new audience seems excited to engage it as well.
Depth of concepts
*= single concept or concepts need development
** = single concept developed in depth or multiple worthy concepts presented that initiate good conversation
*** = multiple concepts developed thoughtfully
**** = multiple concepts developed with depth and research
Multiple worthy concepts are developed that initiate good conversation. As this is a distillation of some of his larger works, the reader feels aware that there is much more that can be said, and that this little text does a good job sign posting to those deeper realities, while giving one something to chew on in the immediate sense.
Conclusion
This is a worthy read for someone interested in deeper Christian theology but doesn't have a good starting point or the background to do so. Its great for group discussions. It will introduce one to the oldest theologies of the Church. Its written beautifully, connecting all the dots between history, theology, imagery.
July 10, 2022
All in all, John Behr argues that we are not truly human until we have died to ourselves and are reborn in Christ. This also goes for the Christian who is daily dying to themself; they are observing the cross, the tree of life where Jesus died, and observing Jesus, the savior of the world who rose again, who lived as the first, true human (Adam failed, Eve failed, Jesus surpassed all). The Christian who is not dying to themself is playing the roll of the stillborn child, yet the Church is there to mother them back to health.
Behr argues that the glory of God is in his creation: living human beings. Yet, no human is truly alive as a human when without Christ. God's glory is radiant in the one who is alive in Christ. All others are dead, though can be made alive by the blood of Christ. To be Human is not to be flesh and blood, male or female, but to be fulfilled by the substance of Christ's blood.
Likewise, Humanity is what God created, and thus our identity is bound to and found in Him. This concept was what gravitated me to the book, as at the time I was writing a paper on human dignity. I believe that there is an abundance of perversion and misconception and indignity in the world done to, done by, done for humanity. We've lost our minds and most definitely our hearts. The soul hangs on by the ghostly threads of time. But I, as a struggling believer – one who finds much inconsistency within his heart – need to look to Christ for my identity and ignore the false identifications the world implicates, and in such a motion I can stand hopefully and selflessly to love my brothers and sisters through and for the instilled dignity of the Maker.
Critique:
There were some times throughout my reading where I stopped and pondered, "well that is very interesting, but quite the interpretation." Though I cannot remember the exact moments, and I failed to bookmark them, I would just caution (as with any book) to read critically. This condensed, little book has MUCH packed inside.
Behr argues that the glory of God is in his creation: living human beings. Yet, no human is truly alive as a human when without Christ. God's glory is radiant in the one who is alive in Christ. All others are dead, though can be made alive by the blood of Christ. To be Human is not to be flesh and blood, male or female, but to be fulfilled by the substance of Christ's blood.
Likewise, Humanity is what God created, and thus our identity is bound to and found in Him. This concept was what gravitated me to the book, as at the time I was writing a paper on human dignity. I believe that there is an abundance of perversion and misconception and indignity in the world done to, done by, done for humanity. We've lost our minds and most definitely our hearts. The soul hangs on by the ghostly threads of time. But I, as a struggling believer – one who finds much inconsistency within his heart – need to look to Christ for my identity and ignore the false identifications the world implicates, and in such a motion I can stand hopefully and selflessly to love my brothers and sisters through and for the instilled dignity of the Maker.
Critique:
There were some times throughout my reading where I stopped and pondered, "well that is very interesting, but quite the interpretation." Though I cannot remember the exact moments, and I failed to bookmark them, I would just caution (as with any book) to read critically. This condensed, little book has MUCH packed inside.
June 10, 2020
This is theological anthropology anchored in Christology, creation and eschatology. It is expansive yet compact, precise yet poetic. Behr shows that death has been given a new 'use' through the death and resurrection of Christ (and ascension and out-pouring of the Holy Spirit) such that the death of believers must now be understood as their birth into true and full life as human beings created in the image of their creator and formed into the likeness of Christ by his own shaping and life-breathing work. He shows this from Scripture and the teaching of the early church Fathers, and he illustrates it from the lives of the martyrs. These ideas were not new for me, having taken a class with Father Behr and having read lots of Peter Leithart over the years. But I read this not long after the death of a child of some close friends and, having lost some very close family myself (mother, son, grandparents, etc.), I was reminded that this is such an important personal truth for every Christian to hold close (especially when our culture likes to hide all discussion of death, even when a pandemic makes this impossible). Aside from the meditation on death-in-Christ being an essential part of the Christian calling to become fully who God intends us to be, this was a reminder that all good theology ought to be pastoral.
August 22, 2020
Fr John Behr is a noble successor to the late Fr Alexander Schmemann and provides us, in this beautiful and slim volume, with profound contemplation of key points in the Christian story as well as a fresh way of looking at the big picture.
The power in his approach is that his ideas almost seep into your consciousness like a pleasant aftertaste from a fine meal, so that there is a lingering and new appreciation of the familiar... turning over our ideas about the fall and God's supposed 'rescue operation' to a sounder view of God's providence.
His isn't a short and sharp writing style like GK Chesterton or Fabrice Hadjadj; however, when he takes aim it does hit you! Particularly prescient is Behr's approach to Male and Female, which is among the most profound and comprehensive insights i've ever came across on this topic, alongside aforementioned Hadjadj.
The power in his approach is that his ideas almost seep into your consciousness like a pleasant aftertaste from a fine meal, so that there is a lingering and new appreciation of the familiar... turning over our ideas about the fall and God's supposed 'rescue operation' to a sounder view of God's providence.
His isn't a short and sharp writing style like GK Chesterton or Fabrice Hadjadj; however, when he takes aim it does hit you! Particularly prescient is Behr's approach to Male and Female, which is among the most profound and comprehensive insights i've ever came across on this topic, alongside aforementioned Hadjadj.
September 30, 2013
This is a very short work by Fr John Behr, but don't let that fool you. There is so much to be had here in these short pages that he just didn't need any more.
Every page is packed with a poetic theology of a depth that is sorely lacking in the world today. This is something to be savored over time and meditated upon. Like his 'Mystery of Christ', 'Becoming Human' is a book you read once and then over the years come back to it again and again. Every time you do so you'll come across just one more thing that you didn't notice the last time.
This book is well worth the time, and recommended for anyone and everyone. You can't go wrong with this one.
Every page is packed with a poetic theology of a depth that is sorely lacking in the world today. This is something to be savored over time and meditated upon. Like his 'Mystery of Christ', 'Becoming Human' is a book you read once and then over the years come back to it again and again. Every time you do so you'll come across just one more thing that you didn't notice the last time.
This book is well worth the time, and recommended for anyone and everyone. You can't go wrong with this one.
June 18, 2023
This is a very powerful Orthodox reflection on what makes us truly human, and how to reach the human person God had in mind when creating us. It's presented as meditations, but actually, this is one single narrative, one book, with several chapters.
It's just presented in a neat way, with lot of (gorgeous) illustrations, and special quotes from the Fathers added, and passages highlighted in different fonts and colors.
Very deep, though accessible.
It's just presented in a neat way, with lot of (gorgeous) illustrations, and special quotes from the Fathers added, and passages highlighted in different fonts and colors.
Very deep, though accessible.
August 2, 2014
Stunningly simple, prolific and profound, elegantly designed. Fr. John Behr paints a mysterious and positively haunting picture of what it means to be truly human. The book makes use of a mixture of fonts and art work, quotes and allusions, that bring an abundant and eclectic, holistic, picture into view. Full review to come.
Read
April 4, 2015Stirring theological anthropology. Quick read. Beautiful.
January 2, 2020
This volume is presented in a very unique format. Certain passages may have a larger, and divergent font for emphasis, there are numerous images, and quotations throughout, and the prose is almost a stream of consciousness. It is clear that the author intended this to be a very meditative reading experience, given that the concepts are very loosely sketched out, and in some cases may even seem vague. I think that the intention is for the reader to reflect, and contemplate each page, rather than simply absorb information through the intellect. The books brevity permits it to be read in a single sitting, however, it’s impact will undoubtedly be more pronounced with a more deliberate reading pace.
The strengths and weaknesses of this volume will run along the same lines as Behr’s more expansive work “The Mystery Of Christ”. The Alexandrian method of interpreting scripture which is advocated by Behr serves this volume very well in its goal, namely to produce meditative reflection upon the work of Christ. However, the authors complete disregard for historical context, or authorial intent seems to be a step too far, though it is admittedly less pronounced in in this book. Ultimately, I think that “Becoming Human” is best suited for devotional use, perhaps incorporated into times of prayer. The themes which are sketched, and teased in this book will likely provoke curiosity, and appetite for Behr’s more comprehensive work.
The strengths and weaknesses of this volume will run along the same lines as Behr’s more expansive work “The Mystery Of Christ”. The Alexandrian method of interpreting scripture which is advocated by Behr serves this volume very well in its goal, namely to produce meditative reflection upon the work of Christ. However, the authors complete disregard for historical context, or authorial intent seems to be a step too far, though it is admittedly less pronounced in in this book. Ultimately, I think that “Becoming Human” is best suited for devotional use, perhaps incorporated into times of prayer. The themes which are sketched, and teased in this book will likely provoke curiosity, and appetite for Behr’s more comprehensive work.
February 12, 2022
This book is tiny but mighty. The format, upon first cracking it open, reminded me of a Choice Books inspirational coffee table book, with colored, scripted fonts, and text laid out as if it were poetry. Don’t let the simplistic format fool you. Behr’s systematic exploration of Christian anthropology is rich and powerful. He wastes no words. Each line is thoughtfully chosen, and charts a path for understanding God’s project of creating humans (“Let us MAKE” vs “Let there BE”) and how this divine intention was perfectly fulfilled (“It is finished!”) in the human, life, and death of Christ.
This is a 5 star read for me. I found it illuminating and invigorating, esp in an era where it seems so many believers still view the body as bad; our mortal lives something to bear until we can shed them for eternity and some sort of ethereal being. 😅 Behr weaves such a different and profound picture of the humanity of Jesus and how His example lays the foundation for what it means for us to enter fully into God’s intent for His creation, by becoming - like Christ - fully human. What does this mean and how does it work out practically? Read the book for a compelling overview.
This is a 5 star read for me. I found it illuminating and invigorating, esp in an era where it seems so many believers still view the body as bad; our mortal lives something to bear until we can shed them for eternity and some sort of ethereal being. 😅 Behr weaves such a different and profound picture of the humanity of Jesus and how His example lays the foundation for what it means for us to enter fully into God’s intent for His creation, by becoming - like Christ - fully human. What does this mean and how does it work out practically? Read the book for a compelling overview.
April 2, 2024
Everything about this book is beautiful. The content is touching and profound in its discussion of Becoming Human. It leaves the reader full of hope for human flourishing and a greater appreciation for the gospel story. The format of the book, including artwork, emphasized phrases/quotes, and even line breaks, is simply stunning and aids in understanding. Even the weight of the pages and texture of the cover between my fingers were a sensational delight. Get your hands on a copy, a physical copy, and you won’t regret it. I definitely need to read this a few more times and maybe even make it an addition to my yearly Lenten reads.
January 29, 2021
Well written, patristic reading of what it means to be human through a willingness to enter into the suffering of the Cross, "using" death to our advantage in becoming truly human through Christ. Great insight, tightly packed and thematically broad, as he draws on scriptural texts and patristic authors with some contemporary application in our context of do-it-ourself individualism. Includes about 50 pieces of art and iconography that fit the theme of each page.
January 1, 2022
A guide to becoming like Christ- Who is the very definition of what it means to be truly human- written in understandable language. The book moves along quickly, step by step, each step bringing forth it's essential truth in a crisp, compacted form. A small book that says so much! An amazing effort by an Orthodox Christian scholars, making the Way clear to those of us who are not scholars.
December 12, 2020
“ Rather than thinking of the Incarnation of Christ as an event restricted to a long-gone past in a far-removed land, we should instead think of it as a possibility that is to be lived as an ever contemporary reality, here and now in those who respond to him.“
July 18, 2019
I’m confused. I think I understood what he was saying but it didn’t make sense. Perhaps St Irenaeus is clearer?
January 3, 2020
Excellent. A recapturing of the Fathers and especially a rereading of the creation account(s) that is just beautiful.
November 9, 2020
A beautiful and thoughtful reflection, presented in images, quotes and narrative, on the Christian journey of becoming human. Highly recommended!
January 29, 2021
A powerhouse of a small book requiring rereading. Beautiful illustrations and prose. Emphasis placed on the process of death to obtain eternal life. Highly recommend.
January 10, 2022
So much to chew on here.
April 3, 2022
Beautiful meditations and art that draw the reader into understanding of the Christian religion's meaning for being human. Thoughtful, compelling, and prayerful.
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