"Low Anthropology" (David Zahl)

TITLE: Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself)
AUTHOR: David Zahl
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2022, (208 pages).
 

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

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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.