What does it mean to be human?

Confusion around what it means to be human is a defining issue of our time. Every day, we're confronted with messages that challenge the truth about human identity made in the image of God.

In moments like these, clarity matters. Truth matters.

To respond to the deep questions surrounding human identity, purpose, and dignity, we launched the Institute for Christian Anthropology.

The Institute for Christian Anthropology works with evangelical theologians and other scholars to address what it means to be human. The Institute's work responds to questions about our humanity in relation to embodiment, technology, and meaning.

The initiative will produce foundational theological resources suitable for use in seminaries and Christian higher education, and among pastors and other church leaders.

The goal of the Institute for Christian Anthropology is to help believers address the roots of our generation’s questions about the nature and purpose of human beings.

Technology

Sustaining human identity in an AI age

Embodiment

Honoring human embodied existence

Meaning

Confronting the growing crisis of despair

Neither Sovereign nor Slave: Remaining Human in the AI Age

November 16, 2026 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm MT...

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About

The Institute for Christian Anthropology is an initiative of the Colson Center.

Jennifer Patterson

Executive Director

Jennifer Patterson is executive director of the Institute for Christian Anthropology. She holds a Ph.D. in moral theology/ethics from The Catholic University of America and an M.A.R. from Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., where she is a lecturer. She has more than three decades of experience in public policy-related fields advancing long-term reform on issues of human flourishing.