"More Than Things" (Paul Louis Metzger)

TITLE: More Than Things: A Personalist Ethics for a Throwaway Culture
AUTHOR: Paul Louis Metzger
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (464 pages).

There is a worrying trend in society today. Socially, people are being reduced to statistics. Medically, the health and wellness of a person are defined by numbers displayed in life support systems. Individual identities are based on their social security numbers. In a paranoid environment about privacy, people give themselves anonymous avatars or reduce themselves to mere email addresses or Twitter handlers. Social media fame gets defined by the number of likes or viral streams. The list can easily apply to many facets of modern society. All of these come to the hilt when people start asking about who they are and why they exist. With a mixture of humour and seriousness, people might even be wondering if they are dealing with amber alerts about "Missing Persons." Author Paul Louis Metzger approaches ten "hot issues" with regard to the threat to personhood by arguing that these ten issues need to be constantly addressed with the maxim, "People are more than things."  Using his training as an ethicist, Metzger engages ethical theories with the ten issues to give us a moral compass to navigate from using things to appreciating persons. Before dealing with ethical issues, Metzger goes back to the fundamental truths about faith, hope, and hope. He reasons that a major cause for our focus on things is the onslaught of "cynicism, pessimism, and narcissism." The way to deal with these three impediments to human relationships is via the three core virtues of faith, hope, and love. Faith helps counter cynicism as it tries to navigate belief amid a culture of unbelief, largely because of a checkered past. Hope reminds us that we are made for more while things have limits. Love is the way we need to live in the present. In all these virtues, Metzger connects us to the Triune God who embodies timeless Truth and everlasting Faith, Hope, and Love. 

With the foundations set, readers are guided through the ten issues as follows, that People are:

1. More than their Abilities.
2. More than Genetic Perfection
3. More than Sexual Pleasure
4. More than the Battle of the Sexes
5. More than Mere End/Extension of Life
6. More than Racial Divisions
7. More than Import Market Values
8. More than Just War
9. More than Domination of the Earth
10. More than Space Exploration

Each issue presents us with an opportunity to counter and correct modern perceptions of a "throwaway culture" with humane sensitivity. In the issue of "Abilities," Metzger uses Pastoral Theology to deal with utilitarian-based Practical Ethics. This has deep implications for those struggling with debilitating diseases like Down's Syndrome or any illnesses that exclude a person from being called "normal." Covering issues from abortion to different disabilities, he reminds us of the biblical concern for all, especially the weaker members of society. In "Genetic Perfection," the author takes genetic engineering to task and questions the way we define success. The four dangers of such an orientation are "presumption, exploitation, bifurcation, and reduction." It is like trying to play god, the only difference being our playbook comprises some or all of these flawed assumptions. The issue of "Sexual Pleasure" is about the uncritical adoption of secular humanism to define sexual activities. 

He covers a wide range of sexuality matters that range from monogamy to how one link identity to sexual orientations. The issue of the "Battle of the Sexes" discusses gender-related matters. Jusr like how Descartes sums up the individualistic mindset of "I think, therefore, I am," the gender wars is about "I feel my own sexuality or biological drive, therefore I am." Combing the various religious thoughts and their perspective on sexuality, Metzger argues that even though biblical contexts are largely patriarchal, in Jesus, there is "gender equality in all spheres of power and influence." Instead of letting the battle remains as "of the sexes," why not adopt "for the sexes?" The issue of assisted suicides is dealt with in "Mere End or Extension of Life." Here, Metzger helps us look at how some would redefine death with different vocabulary like "assisted suicide," "euthanasia," "dying with dignity," etc. Whatever the classification or justification, making deliberate decisions about dying can lead to slippery slopes that become even more challenging. For instance, how do we prevent abuses and manipulation from being masqueraded as good deaths? What about individual free will in a situation where people don't really know what the individual wants? After dealing with the first five issues that connect directly with individual ethics, the next four issues are more community-related. In "Racial Divisions," one wonders how we can show neighborly love in a society that is deeply divided over ethnic differences. Can immigration reform be broadened beyond meritocracy? How does one think from God's perspective about citizenship rules and privileges on the basis of residency status? What about the use of drones in modern warfare and remote killing? Is there a limit to taking care of the earth when it comes to space exploration? These and many more are dealt with philosophically and practically. 

My Thoughts
People are increasingly been treated like things and we need to do something to arrest this trend. This is essentially what this book is about. In an updated and thoughtful manner, Metzger has dealt with a range of contemporary issues by posing a Christian alternative to the ethical dilemmas raised by such issues. Written from an academic angle (no surprise), the author engages a variety of ethicists, philosophers, thinkers, and researchers to paint a broad landscape of ideas before homing in on the Christian perspective. As an ethics resource, this book checks out well in terms of updating modern dilemmas. It also helps bring to the fore the pressing issues that we might have ignored or avoided. News media have often given us biased opinions which are simply liberal propaganda. Left unchallenged, they may continue to take root in the minds and hearts of people, especially the younger generation. We need more critical thinking and this book is an important resource to do just that. A few years ago, scientists were actively trying to make computers think like humans. Today, the tide is gradually turning, and humans are becoming like the things they created. Once we are made aware of the issues at hand, we would have taken the first step in developing healthy ethical thinking.

This leads me to the next thought: We need to cultivate deeper growth beyond popular superficiality. Browsing has replaced reading. Glancing has replaced seeing. Multi-tasking has replaced attentiveness. Superficiality has replaced deep thought. Dollar-shop mentality has replaced quality values. Things have replaced Personhood. There are a few recognizable effects in society. In the name of cost reduction, people are being reduced to commodities, and their jobs are gradually being replaced by machines. As people become accustomed to the quick responses of computer systems to their commands, they might place the same kinds of expectations on people serving them. All of these will impact one's ability to pay attention and process thoughts beyond superficiality. 

As the world gets infatuated with all things Artificial Intelligence (AI), our identities are increasingly questioned or even threatened. In a book that delves deeply into the meaning of Personalism, author-professor Paul Metzger writes this book to argue against reductionism and the "objectification" of people. Personalism essentially asserts that humans are unique, irreplaceable, and have immeasurable worth and dignity. In other words, we should never treat people like things we use. Finally, I want to make a distinction between personalism and personalization. The former is about the value of oneself while the latter is revolving things around oneself. The personalism advocated in this book is about positively recognizing the value and dignity of personhood. Personalization on the other hand can be seen somewhat negatively in a egocentric way, where the world revolves around the needs of each person. This book is more about personalism from the standpoint of recovering one's true identity.

Metzger has written this book out of a crucible of anguish for his son, which makes the writing a whole lot more authentic and passionate. If you are a student of ethics, this book should be in your library. Even if you are not a student, you would probably agree with the simple premise of the author, that we are all bigger and better than mere things. If there's any one lesson to learn, it would be to learn to treat one another more humanely and mercifully each day.

Paul Louis Metzger (PhD, King's College London) is professor of Christian theology and theology of culture at Multnomah University and Seminary and director of The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins. He is the author of numerous books, including Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church and Connecting Christ: How to Discuss Jesus in a World of Diverse Paths, and coeditor of A World for All? Global Civil Society in Political Theory and Trinitarian Theology.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of IVP Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.