What a Piece of Work
On Being Human
Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Christianity, Christian Life
| Author: | Helen Oppenheimer | ISBN: | 9781845404246 |
| Publisher: | Andrews UK | Publication: | October 17, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Imprint Academic | Language: | English |
| Author: | Helen Oppenheimer |
| ISBN: | 9781845404246 |
| Publisher: | Andrews UK |
| Publication: | October 17, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Imprint Academic |
| Language: | English |
This is a small book on a large subject: What is special about human beings? Hamlet mused, ‘What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how like a god!’ but went on to speak of ‘this quintessence of dust’. Helen Oppenheimer prefers to start with the dust and move to the glory: we really are animals — and from these animals has come Shakespeare. People are indeed ‘miserable sinners’ — and also magnificent creatures.The author does not disguise that she is a Christian theologian whose subject is ethics, but she writes equally for non-Christians. Her invitation to the reader is: Here is a way of looking at things that I find exciting and convincing — I hope you do too.
This is a small book on a large subject: What is special about human beings? Hamlet mused, ‘What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how like a god!’ but went on to speak of ‘this quintessence of dust’. Helen Oppenheimer prefers to start with the dust and move to the glory: we really are animals — and from these animals has come Shakespeare. People are indeed ‘miserable sinners’ — and also magnificent creatures.The author does not disguise that she is a Christian theologian whose subject is ethics, but she writes equally for non-Christians. Her invitation to the reader is: Here is a way of looking at things that I find exciting and convincing — I hope you do too.
