Spiritual Life and Leadership

165. The Value of a Low Anthropology, with David Zahl, author of Low Anthropology


Listen Later

Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking!

David Zahl is founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries and the author of Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself).

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is that people are not always going to look out for what’s best for one another--or for me.  In fact, sometimes people are going to outright try to tear each other down. 

But our expectation is often that people would be good--an expectation that David Zahl says is rooted in a high anthropology.

But maybe what we need is a low anthropology—a way of understanding humanity as being essentially limited and broken and focused on their own good.

That sounds depressing. But David Zahl makes the case that a low anthropology actually helps us lead in a way that is more gracious and brings about more healing for people who are broken—including ourselves.


THIS EPISODES'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

  • David Zahl is founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries and the author of Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself).
  • One’s anthropology refers essentially to one’s view of human nature.
  • According to David Zahl, a high anthropology views human beings as prone to doing great things and bringing about positive transformation.  Low anthropology views humanity as inherently limited, compromised, and is perhaps a more sober view of humanity.
  • A high anthropology tends to breed a sense of entitlement in people.
  • A low anthropology puts everyone on a level playing field.  We are all broken.
  • David Zahl believes a low anthropology is a doorway to talking about grace.
  • The three pillars of a low anthropology are:
    • Limitation – There is a God and it’s not you.
    • Doubleness – We are a bundle of competing motivations.
    • Self-centeredness – We often want what’s bad for us or what comes at a cost for other people.
  • David Zahl reflects on the ways that limitation, doubleness, and self-centeredness are experienced in churches.
  • Ultimately, a low anthropology is a biblical anthropology.
  • A low anthropology, according to David Zahl, says that people are fundamentally in need of help from other people and from God.
  • A low anthropology allows us to encourage people in their giftings.
  • A low anthropology goes hand in hand with a high Christology.



RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

  • David Zahl:
    • Mockingbird website - https://mbird.com/
    • Mockingcast podcast - https://mbird.com/category/the-mockingcast/
  • Books mentioned:
    • Low Anthropology, by David Zahl
    • Seculosity, by David Zahl

Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Spiritual Life and LeadershipBy Markus Watson

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

36 ratings


More shows like Spiritual Life and Leadership

View all
The Holy Post by Phil Vischer

The Holy Post

4,251 Listeners

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast by Art of Leadership Network

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

2,219 Listeners

Theology in the Raw by Theology in the Raw

Theology in the Raw

1,406 Listeners

The Russell Moore Show by Christianity Today, Russell Moore

The Russell Moore Show

982 Listeners

Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick by Michael John Cusick

Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick

452 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,319 Listeners

The Bible For Normal People by Peter Enns and Jared Byas

The Bible For Normal People

3,217 Listeners

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler by Everything Happens Studios

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

4,929 Listeners

Things Above by Apprentice Institute

Things Above

414 Listeners

Rebuilders by Red Church

Rebuilders

273 Listeners

The Roys Report by Julie Roys

The Roys Report

729 Listeners

SmartLess by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett

SmartLess

57,006 Listeners

Become New with John Ortberg by Become New

Become New with John Ortberg

323 Listeners

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill by Christianity Today

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

92 Listeners

The Bulletin by Christianity Today

The Bulletin

433 Listeners