Human Development/Consciousness Evolution ,Self; Evolution Record Type: Review   ID: 269
Sacred Identity: Exploring a Theology of the Person Kopas, Jane
The author, a theologian, aims this work at primarily Christian believers who may vary in their understanding of Jesus. It is further directed at an "unbeliever within the believer" and ambivalent believers for whom traditional symbols have lost their impetus. within the Christian paradigm, Kopas examines metaphors of identity and concentrates on that of "being a creature in relation to a divine creator" (p. 3). She endeavors to find more textured ways of viewing creaturehood that would relate to living in the late 20th century. She points out that in many ways social forces today destabilize identity whereas religious tradition can stabilize it by "declaring it sacred even in the midst of forces that might undermine it" (p. 5). The second chapter elaborates on metaphors of creaturehood in relation to the creator. She describes the way in which creatures are both self-creating and recreated via their relationships. She devotes chapters to the role played by self-transcendence and experiences of limits. The image of God "as integral to the metaphor of creaturehood" (p. 5) provides a way to unite all humans as well as kinship with all of creation. She emphasizes the important role played by gratitude, which can be both freeing and connecting. God is viewed as receiving as well as giving.
Publisher Information:	Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1994. 217p. Chap. notes; Ind: 213-217

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