This seminar recovers the all-important concept of the 'Person' for a theological engagement of contemporary culture. The underlying premise of this class is that by neglecting the mystery of the person, contemporary culture continues to be dominated by reductive views of what it means to be human. As a result, our collective imagination continues to be shaped by rationalist, naturalist, and technological self-images that undermine human dignity, the complexity of social relations, the right foundation for politics, the proper goal of medical care, and appropriate use of technology. Indeed, failing to grasp the centrality of personhood for Christian anthropology obscures the goal of the Christian life: friendship with God and with one another. Based on the imago dei tradition, and with the help of key personalist thinkers, this class aims to construct a theologically robust, philosophically plausible, and scientifically probable concept of the human person to enable students better to assess current issues regarding human dignity, human rights, race, bioethics (including disability care), technological enhancements, and Artificial Intelligence.

The course content will be conveyed through one-hour public lectures organized for the Regent community through the James M. Houston Centre for Humanity and the Common Good. These public lectures will be followed by an exclusive, hour-long discussion with each lecturer. Class days without public lectures will be dedicated to additional discussion and student presentations.