Low Anthropology

I really enjoyed this book! Zahl gives a compelling argument for holding a low anthropology and warns of the dangers of a high anthropology. He shows the importance of holding a low anthropology when regarding others, politics, religion, and yourself. I rate this a 4.5/5 just because it was slightly above my typical reading level.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A Must-Read
Book Title - Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (And Yourself)
Author - David Zahl
Release Date - Sept 13, 2022
Genre - nonfiction, Christian

"I am convinced that if you want to see an increase in hope, understanding, and unity amid the engulfing mercilessness of today -- indeed, if you want to communicate anything approaching grace -- you must begin with a low anthropology."

Low anthropology, as presented by David Zahl, is a perspective in which we view humanity by its limitations rather than its potential. The text posits this anthropological view by deriving from Christian theology related to original sin and humanity's desperate need for reconciliation with God through Christ.

Zahl's voice is both academic and colloquial as he proposes a worldview that is, in fact, biblical in nature and supported through scripture.

Low anthropology opposes the idea that humans can "life hack" their way to happiness and fulfillment and instead reveals the liberation associated with accepting humanity's finititude.

A low anthropological view indicates that humans are defined by three major characteristics: limitation, doubleness (or the competing forces that drive our behavior), and self-centeredness.

As Zahl states, "The moment my opponent and I acknowledge that we share a predilection for self-centeredness is the moment we see each other as fellow nuisances."
In other words, you annoy me, but I also annoy you. Herein lies the key to communicating, living, and working with others we would otherwise shun, despise, or write off as "toxic": when we realize that we are all bound by our human nature, we can extend grace and love to those who could quickly become enemies rather than mere nuisances in our lives.

I hope that instead of creating further strife in an already decaying world, our lives would be filled with mere "nuisances," annoying little things that we actually wholeheartedly adore, that shape and refine our character and testify to God's love.

Thank you @netgalley for my advanced copy of this book!

Do not let the title of the book fool you. This is not a graduate-level textbook about human nature. It is essentially about how we think about human behavior. The title might seem intimidating at first but the contents are inviting. In order to satisfy the curious, author David Zahl at the onset defines anthropology as the "operative theory of human nature." He then gives us a spectrum of examples of what high and low anthropology is all about. In a nutshell, "high anthropology" covers grand optimism about the goodness of being human, that people are basically good, who tend to be at their best behavior usually, altruistic, and also constantly positive about life. It is a path to achieving success as much as possible. At the other end of the spectrum is low anthropology, where sentiments like brokenness, heartaches, self-doubts, shame, and negative perceptions live. It is a path to avoiding failure at all costs. Then, Zahl gives us a twist. The way to higher anthropology is via the paths of low anthropology. He observes that his most effective sermons over his 20 years of preaching are the ones assuming the audience is suffering in some way, or in some area of need. This spurs the making of this book. With society constantly crying out for help, perhaps, the way forward is to begin from where the people are. The premise of this book is that if we want to grow authentically forward, we need to start where we are, be honest with ourselves, about who we are, and learn to experience life as grace. In other words, the way we see human nature will determine how well we behave and live in this world.

The way Zahl begins is not with low but high anthropology. He reflects on the interview process in which many people use the "humblebrag" method to answer what their weaknesses are. A popular answer would be "My greatest weakness is that I am a perfectionist!" Trying to turn a supposedly weak point into a strength essentially hides one's tendency to stress oneself out. This leads to burnout and eventually breakdown. No wonder many people prefer to remain in their constant state of busyness to feel important, justify their usefulness, or avoid any form of inner insecurities. Other examples of high anthropology are:

- Desiring to be perfect in all of their efforts;
- Emotional labour that is never satisfied;
- Crave for control;
- Constantly seeking approval via likes on social media;
- Convictions that would even prefer division instead of unity
- ....

All of these attempts stem from a refusal to acknowledge the lowly human nature. Having described the dangers of attempting high anthropology, Zahl then points out the misunderstandings surrounding low anthropology. The rest of the book not only clears up the meaning of low anthropology, but it also expands on the shape, the mechanics, and the life of low anthropology (LA). On the shape of LA, Zahl shows us the three pillars: "limitation, doubleness, and self-centeredness." How is that a pillar? LA begins when we accept our limitations. Instead of pushing ourselves beyond who we are or our abilities, we need to learn to lower our self-expectations. It is a belief that less is more. It acknowledges that our convictions about certainty might very well be an exercise in futility. Only God is good. Only God is enough. Only God is worthy. The second pillar is doubleness which refers to the "competing forces, or voices, that drive our behavior." It is recognizing that we are often conflicted in our decision-making. Just like Paul's predicament in his spiritual battle of knowing what is good but gravitating toward what is evil. Things like the temptation of extra-marital affairs, or the committing of certain evils. By recognizing that the heart often rules over the head, it helps us appreciate LA as a way to do the right thing. With the freedom to flee from any pretension, one becomes more authentic. The way to persuasion is more often through winning hearts rather than conquering arguments. The third pillar is self-centeredness which most people would reckon as negative. Yet, Zahl observes how the dislike of self-centeredness applies more to others instead of ourselves. The very thing in others that we see with contempt is the same thing that haunts us. How are these pillars of LA help us? Simply put, they recognize the sinfulness in us and make no qualms about exposing them. Like the guilty who admits wrong, a LA enables us to begin truthfully about our flaws and to frankly recognize our faults. Once we arrive at square one of our spiritual reality, we can begin growing toward becoming the person God has made us to be. More importantly, we learn to see the good news as truly good news.

My Thoughts
This book offers us a unique look at the meaning of grace. The best way to understand grace is to feel our need for grace. This is what LA is all about. By peeling away the layers of our sinful selves via the three pillars of LA, we become more authentic with ourselves. We avoid targeting accusations at others just because we want to run away from the very unpleasant sentiments themselves. The key starting point is neither high nor low status but realistic expectations. Although this might make us vulnerable, it also helps us not to be so easily offended. Zahl also notes how the most difficult people Jesus had to deal with were people of high anthropology, the highly strung individuals such as the Pharisees, the rulers, and the powerful leaders of the day. Are we guilty of that as well? Maybe. Zahl also makes a provocative statement: "If success breeds competition and burnout, then failure breeds camaraderie, possibly even love." The way to unity is via shared failures. Something to think about.

Perhaps, one reason why the word "hypocrisy" has been used so often by people, even Church people, is that it is a subtle acknowledgment that what we see fails to connect with what we feel. We tend to exercise double standards by applying some virtuous requirements on others more than ourselves. This is the danger of high anthropology, which is often about our ideal expectations, our perfect requirements, and all kinds of what people should do in life. Such a perspective leads us toward perfectionism and all forms of unhealthy expectations that will ultimately disappoint. We burn out. When we stumble and fall, we get easily depressed and discouraged. A low anthropology enables us to take the pressure off ourselves and others. When we are truly free to know who we are, perhaps, we are also free to recognize grace in its fullest sense. More crucially, we acknowledge a deep need for grace that only God can satisfy.

Readers might find this book a little difficult to follow at first for it runs against the grain of things that we are often so used to. How can anyone understand that the very things that project negative connotations are also the very pillars to help us to embrace grace? Maybe the labels are a little too offensive. Perhaps, once we look beyond the labels and to use them as launchpads to understand ourselves, we are better poised to explore the contours of grace and ultimately jump into the deep embrace of God's grace.

I recommend this book to anyone struggling to make sense of life, of relationships, and of themselves. The way to see grace better is to recognize that we ourselves need grace. This book opens up the so called "can of worms" about our true selves so that we will not be haunted or enslaved by the fear of facing our own authenticity. Once that happens, we can not only be more authentic, we can also be more gracious toward others.

David Zahl is founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, which receives more than 1 million website pageviews per year and has 35,000 newsletter subscribers and social media followers. He is editor in chief of the Mockingbird blog and cohost of the Mockingcast podcast. Zahl wrote the critically acclaimed book Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It and has written for Christianity Today and the Washington Post. He lives with his wife and three boys in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he also serves on the staff of Christ Episcopal Church.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

A great book on introducing the concepts of high and low anthropology, and how it affects all aspects of our lives.

Short: In "Low Anthropology" Zahl explains the counterintuitive and paradoxical truth that a low anthropology draws us closer to one another by sharing in our weaknesses and most importantly God in Christ draws close to us. “Whereas perfection alienates, weakness catalyzes togetherness.” Zahl writes. It is in fact empowering and comforting to know others are just like us in their insecurities, faults, and pain. It is even more hopeful to know that God himself understands our suffering and promises healing. In short, a low anthropology unburdens us from the unrealistic demands that we can reach higher than is possible for the limited, double minded, and self-centered human beings that we are. This book is a journey that shows how the contours of a low anthropology transform the way we can view ourselves, our relationships, politics, and religion. In short, a low anthropology helps us to be a more gracious and humble member of the human race and frees us from the disappointment, self-righteousness, despair or exhaustion that high anthropologies breed.

Long:

This review was written for my church's newsletter.

From Pastor’s Bookshelf
“Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself)”
By David Zahl

Do not let the big word in the title fool you; this is not a college text book. Anthropology as David Zahl discusses it simply means one’s personal beliefs about the essence and nature of human beings. In other words, “What makes humans tick?” What is your anthropology? Do you think people are basically good, or do you think most are scoundrels, or perhaps a mix of both good and bad? Do you think there’s little we can’t accomplish if we just put our minds to it or do you think otherwise? In “Low Anthropology” David Zahl investigates how our overall view of humankind will shape our views and expectations of others and ourselves.

Before discussing the book I would like to consider how our Lord Jesus described his mission on earth with parables about people finding lost things. In Luke 15 we hear the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons. When Jesus later entered Jericho he sought out Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was the type of guy everyone wished didn’t live in their neighborhood because they felt he was a stain on their reputation. Yet, after visiting Zacchaeus’ home Jesus joyously said, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he is also a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” When Jesus visited him, Zacchaeus began repenting of himself left and right. Humbled by the Lord’s presence and grace the most unlikely thing happened to Zacchaeus. He who was lost was now found and Jesus exalted the lowly man by calling him a son of Abraham.

Jesus had very different things to say to people who had high views of themselves and their potential—people who were certain that they weren’t lost. When these kinds of self-righteous onlookers criticized the company Jesus was keeping our Lord explained to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus’ detractors operated with a high anthropology. Their overarching view of mankind was that people are perfectible and full of potential to be good and upstanding like themselves. Jesus on the other hand, as true God, knows the heart of man and the lowliness therein. He operates with a low anthropology. He understands better than anyone the imperfections and limitations of human beings. Because Jesus knows our shortcomings He is patient with us and forgiving—in other words He shows us grace.

David Zahl’s book “Low Anthropology” is premised on the belief that when we recognize our limitations we are opened “to all sorts of unexpected vistas of hope—not a flimsy hope but one that endures.” Faced with the goodness of Christ Zachhaeus was humbled as a sinner, but then he was stunned by the staggering and limitless forgiveness and love of God. No amount of moralistic lectures from his do-gooder neighbors would’ve gotten through his hardened heart. It was the gracious physician Jesus who showed Zacchaeus his disease and made him well.

In “Low Anthropology”, David Zahl explains, “The gospel message rings hollow to ears muffled by seductive myths about human perfectibility and potential. Men and women engaged in what T. S. Elliot calls “the endless struggle to think well of themselves” tend to avoid interruptions that would jeopardize their preoccupations, except as a last resort. But to those who have a hard time loving themselves, who feel acutely their own failures and shortcomings, and whose personal narratives seem impervious to spin—which is to say, all of us in our unguarded moments—the words of Martin Luther might sound a bit more alluring, “God receives none but those forsaken, restores health to none but those who are sick, gives sight to none but the blind, and life to none but the dead. He does not give saintliness to any but sinners, nor wisdom to any but fools. In short: he has mercy on none but the wretched and gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace.”

Throughout his book Zahl shows how a low anthropology will lead us to be more understanding and forgiving of others. We can likewise be more gracious to ourselves.

There are three premises that shape a low anthropology according to Zahl. Firstly, human beings have limitations therefore low anthropology result in humility. None of us is God. Not a single one of us can predict the future as hard as we might try. None of us has a picture perfect life either. As much as people may try to convince others on Instagram that their life is the best, everyone knows there’s some pain hidden under the service. Such attempts at perfectionism also breed contempt, jealousy, and shame from others. In a culture that peddles self-optimization with self-help books by the millions a low anthropology recognizes that realistic expectations will lead to more grace towards others and contentment with ourselves. It will also encourage trust in God who meets us in our limitations and heals our deepest failures.

Secondly, human beings are double minded. Zahl explains that there are “competing voices that drive our behavior.” I think of it like the cartoonish angel on one shoulder and devil on the other. We see our desires are often out of kilter with what we know is best for us or for others. Think of any failed New Year’s resolution of your past and you probably can root out some double-mindedness behind it. Double mindedness goes deeper than just our thinking, but is a spiritual battle within us. St. Paul described it as the flesh battling the Spirit. A low-anthropology once again helps us see how double mindedness frequently exposes our limitations—we can’t do everything right even when we have the correct information. Understanding double mindedness also helps us see that we make decisions with both our head and our hearts. If you want to communicate well you often need to reach the heart before the head. Think of how Jesus taught with parables that spoke to the heart so his teaching can take root in our minds as well. This second pillar of low anthropology will also help us be more understanding of the neighbor who tries to do the right thing, but often acts hypocritically. Likewise, it opens us to up to be more authentic since we are not tempted to put on airs and try to pretend we never behave in contradictory ways.

Finally, a low anthropology recognizes that human beings can be self-centered. The funny thing about self-centeredness is we do not see it in ourselves when we can only see it in everyone else. The fact is we all do things that are selfish, so we should not be surprised when others are self-centered too. Zahl includes some self-deprecating and helpful examples of selfishness like grabbing the best cookie from the fresh-baked batch before his kids do. Zahl explains, “Low anthropology proceeds from the foundational insight that human beings are egocentric and—crucially—that this is not a neutral trait. Self-centeredness blocks sympathy and cooperation—to say nothing of love—far beyond dessert time.” Oddly enough, though self-centeredness wreaks all kinds of havoc, the moment we acknowledge one another’s predilection for self-centered behavior we can work with one another with more patience and grace. When we can see that self-centeredness may get in the way at times, acknowledging as much can lead to an attitude of collaboration that otherwise would be impossible if we are convinced everyone else is the problem. As Zahl says, “Drawing an irreducible line between me and my “enemy” or opponent does nothing but betray a lack of imagination on my part. A low anthropologist approaches divisions with skepticism, always looking for connection rather than disconnection, confident in the knowledge that we will at least have some shortcomings in common. There is no “them,” you might say. There’s only “us”.” Zahl discusses how recognizing self-centeredness may help us to begin to understand why we are polarized over so many topics (think of masks during the pandemic). Finally, Zahl explains how self-centeredness is at the root of the problem Christians call sin. To state it as Luther did, we are all “incurvatis in se”, “turned inward on ourselves.” Sin is humanity’s greatest shortcoming and it can only be healed by grace. The church can be a place where people are the most understanding towards this problem and should be a place of forgiveness and healing. Zahl shares his perspective, “Church, in my mind should be the one safe place to bring our shame and shortcomings, not the place where extra helpings are doled out.” David is not suggesting a permissiveness of sin, but rather an understanding heart and mind towards it. Low anthropologists believe we are all in need of mercy.

Throughout every chapter of the book Zahl explains the counterintuitive and paradoxical truth that a low anthropology draws us closer to one another by sharing in our weaknesses and most importantly God in Christ draws close to us. “Whereas perfection alienates, weakness catalyzes togetherness.” Zahl writes. It is in fact empowering and comforting to know others are just like us in their insecurities, faults, and pain. It is even more hopeful to know that God himself understands our suffering and promises healing. In short, a low anthropology unburdens us from the unrealistic demands that we can reach higher than is possible for the limited, double minded, and self-centered human beings that we are. This book is a journey that shows how the contours of a low anthropology transform the way we can view ourselves, our relationships, politics, and religion. In short, a low anthropology helps us to be a more gracious and humble member of the human race and frees us from the disappointment, self-righteousness, despair or exhaustion that high anthropologies breed.
“Low Anthropology” will be released on September 13th, 2022. I received an advance copy from Baker Academic & Bazos Press and NetGalley in return for a review.

Don't be fooled by the highfalutin' title: "Low Anthropology" is not a grad school textbook. It's a book for everyone: a highly accessible, readable look at human nature and the ways our outlook on human nature shapes our view of ourselves and others.

This isn't really a theology book, and in some ways it's not even an explicitly Christian book, although it's written by a priest and ultimately ties everything back to Christ. The core question is this: Are humans fundamentally good and capable of change and improvement? Or are we flawed and incapable of fixing ourselves? And what implications follow from the view we choose to take? How does it affect our interaction with others?

Zahl argues that argues that "low anthropology," viewing humans as fundamentally limited and selfish, is not only a more realistic view, but also allows us to treat ourselves and others with more compassion and grace in our relationships, our social settings, our politics, and our faith communities. It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about our own limitations and weaknesses, and places us in a position of equal footing with those we'd prefer to view as fundamentally different or lesser than ourselves.

Along the way, we're invited to share in everyday stories of addiction, frustration, shame, and weakness that we can all relate to, and encouraged to take an honest look at the world around us and wonder if we're really as beautiful and perfect as Oprah tells us we are. Can we actually optimize ourselves and achieve enlightenment and perfection in this world if we try hard enough? Can we expect others to act rationally and be on their best behavior all the time? How would we interact with the world differently if the answer was "no?"

The book is written for a wide audience, and if it suffers from theological vagueness, it's specifically because it's geared toward, well, everyone. For me, as a Christian, I was waiting for chapter 9 the entire time, and I'd probably advise other Christians to read the first couple chapters, chapter 9, and then the rest of the book. I found the middle of the book lagged for a few chapters while I waited for that final chapter.

But this is also a core strength of the book: Zahl talks with grace and humor about our limitations, our self-centeredness, and our inability to act on our convictions and values in a way that isn't limited to believers, but invites readers of all backgrounds to consider our own weaknesses and to extend grace to others in their weakness.

It's fabulously and beautifully written, and packs a lot of punch without becoming overwhelming. Highly recommend for book groups and anyone who wants to take a step back and reconsider some fundamentals of human life.

**Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time. Spending much of my formative years in evangelical + reformed churches/circles, the idea and discussion of original sin was one I heard of often - to the point of it feeling like white noise. Zahl has managed to speak of this theology in a nuanced study of the finitude of humans. In a lot of ways, it didn't feel like new information as much as it felt like fresh, clean air in my lungs after years without a deep breath. I'll recommend this to friends and it would be great for a book club/study.