In short, Anderson wrote a theology of the body, a topic I have rarely seen addressed, if ever. In fact, Anderson makes the prefatory comment "sometimes evangelicals have been tempted to spiritualize our salvation at the expense of our bodies" (p. 15), drawing attention to the strong separation we often unwittingly make between the body and the soul.
Drawing strongly upon scripture, and bolstering his writing with ideas stemming from a number of ecclesial traditions, Anderson sets to work to show what our bodies have to do with faith. He establishes that God created not just our souls but our bodies as well. He makes the point on page 21 that "if ever there was a question about the goodness of the physical body, the incarnation of Jesus Christ definitively answered it." We are embodied souls, which I think we sometimes forget as believers. After establishing what the body is and why it matters, he moves on to more practical questions believers sometimes have. He thoughtfully addresses topics such as tattooing, sexuality, pornography, homosexuality, suffering, and death. He discusses how the spiritual disciplines, such as fasting and prayer, are important in an embodied theology.
Apart from the uniqueness of this book, his writing is captivating. Just a few examples:
- "We cannot breathe new life into our broken faith. We can only be breathed into."-15
- "This is the paradox of the body: The body is a temple, but the temple is in ruins. The incarnation of Jesus affirms the body's original goodness. The death of Jesus reminds us of its need for redemption. And the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope for its restoration." -30
- "An embodied theology is a theology that acknowledges the radical uniqueness of Christmas, the cross, and Easter. Only there did the one who transcends creation enter it, die for us, and rise again." -69
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