Biblical Anthropomorphism and the Nature of God: A Guide to Understanding the Bible

The Greek word anthropomorphic means "having human form." So anthropomorphism is an interpretation or description of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics. Biblical anthropomorphism, the use of human-like characteristics, attributes, and behaviors to describe God in the Bible, presents a major challenge for many Christians in their attempt to understand the nature of God.

These anthropomorphic descriptions include God's hands, eyes, feet and emotions such as anger and jealousy. Using human attributes and emotions to describe God has led to various interpretations and debates about the nature of God. In the phrase "God sits on his throne," the anthropomorphic language describes God as having a physical presence, sitting on a throne, just like a king or queen would do. Yet we know God is Spirit and does not sit on the physical throne. This language conveys the idea that God has a position of authority and power and that this position is unchanging and eternal.

Understanding anthropomorphic language is important to understanding the meaning and significance of religious texts such as the Bible. It is important to recognize that one should not take anthropomorphic language literally but rather as a metaphorical or symbolic way of expressing complex spiritual ideas. Yet not many Christians read the Bible, noting that these are human languages to describe God so we can understand.

Some note that anthropomorphic descriptions are simply a way for humans to understand and relate to God, who is beyond human comprehension. We can only understand God if we describe him in a way we can understand him. Others suggest that these descriptions are metaphorical or poetic and we should not take them literally. Still, others see these descriptions as evidence that God is, in fact, a personal being who tangibly interacts with humans.

In terms of the nature of God, one can see anthropomorphic descriptions as supporting monotheistic and polytheistic views. On the one hand, descriptions of God's power and sovereignty suggest that there is only one supreme deity. On the other hand, anthropomorphic descriptions can be seen as evidence that God is not a completely transcendent being but one intimately involved in the world and the lives of humans.

Biblical anthropomorphism presents a problem with understanding the nature of God because it can lead to a limited view of God: If one takes the anthropomorphic descriptions of God too literally, it can lead to a limited understanding of God's nature. For example, if one only focuses on God's anger or jealousy, even though God does not change emotionally, without also considering God's love and mercy, it can lead to an incomplete understanding of God's character.

Anthropomorphic language can limit our understanding of God's transcendence, which is the idea that God is beyond human understanding and experience. If we view God too much in human terms, we may miss the larger and more profound aspects of God's nature.

The question that people ask is: Why do we use human language to describe God if God is Spirit? We use anthropomorphic language to describe God in the Bible because it helps us understand God's nature and character in terms that we can relate to. As human beings, we understand the world through our experiences and senses, so describing God in human terms helps us to grasp certain aspects of God's nature that might be difficult to understand otherwise.

Many Church Fathers, such as Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and Augustine, interpreted and wrestled with this anthropomorphic language. These great thinkers grappled with the tension between the need for anthropomorphic language to convey aspects of God's character and the danger of reducing God to a mere human-like figure. The patristic or the church fathers' approach to biblical anthropomorphism can serve as a helpful guide for Christians today as they seek to navigate the tension between God's transcendence and immanence.

Various Church Fathers had different approaches to interpreting and wrestling with the anthropomorphic language used to describe God in the Bible. Origen, for example, believed that the use of anthropomorphic language was necessary for people to understand God in a way they could relate. However, he also believed that these descriptions were not to be taken literally and that God was ultimately beyond human comprehension.

Gregory of Nyssa took a similar approach, arguing that anthropomorphic language was a concession to human weakness and a way to convey aspects of God's character. However, he also emphasized that God was ultimately beyond human understanding and that these descriptions should not be taken literally.

On the other hand, Augustine believed that anthropomorphic language could be used to convey deeper truths about God's nature. He believed that God was both transcendent and immanent and that anthropomorphic language could help convey God's immanence to people.

All three thinkers also emphasized the importance of interpreting these descriptions in light of the rest of the scripture and the larger context of Christian theology. They recognized the dangers of reducing God to a mere human-like figure and emphasized the need to maintain the tension between God's transcendence and immanence.

Augustine used anthropomorphic language to describe God in terms that people could relate to. For example, Augustine often used the sun analogy to explain God's relationship to the world. Just as the sun illuminates everything in the world, God illuminates every aspect of the human experience. However, just as the sun is not affected by what it illuminates, God is not affected by the world.

Augustine's use of anthropomorphic language was a way to convey the paradoxical nature of God's transcendence and immanence. By using language that people could relate to, Augustine was able to explain how God could be completely beyond human comprehension and yet present in every aspect of human experience.

For Augustine, the idea of God's transcendence and immanence was particularly important when it came to an understanding of the nature of Christ. He believed that Christ was fully God and fully human, and he used anthropomorphic language to explain how these two natures could coexist in one person.

Augustine argued that Christ's divine nature was completely transcendent and beyond human understanding, while his human nature was completely immanent and present in every aspect of human experience. He saw the union of these two natures in Christ as a paradoxical mystery that human reason could not fully understand.

In his book "On the Trinity," Augustine used the analogy of a human mind to explain the relationship between Christ's divine and human natures. Just as the mind is transcendent and superior to the body, so too is Christ's divine nature transcendent and superior to his human nature. However, just as the mind is present in every aspect of the body, so is Christ's human nature in every aspect of his divine nature.

He also noted that Christ's two natures were united in a way that did not diminish either nature. He argued that Christ was not a mixture of God and humans but a single person with two distinct natures. Augustine believed that this union was made possible by the Incarnation, the divine act by which God became human in the person of Christ.

Anselm of Canterbury was a medieval Christian theologian and philosopher who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries. In his writings, Anselm wrestled with using anthropomorphic language to describe God. He recognized the limitations of anthropomorphic language in describing God but also believed that some degree of analogy between God and the created world is necessary to talk about God. His principle of the analogy of being sought to strike a balance between these two ideas.

While anthropomorphic language can help communicate certain truths about God, we must be careful not to let it obscure God's deeper meaning and nature as revealed in the Bible. Anthropomorphic language can lead to a limited understanding of God and idolatry; if we focus too much on the human-like attributes of God, we may end up worshiping a limited or distorted image of God rather than the true God of the Bible. Anthropomorphic language can also obscure the transcendent nature of God by describing God in terms of human attributes and experiences.