In the struggle of ideas, the most fundamental and far-reaching is that of the nature of mankind. What are we? Why are we not at peace with ourselves or our neighbours? How does our understanding of our nature lead to personal and social well-being? We have followed the false leads of Darwin, Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud in trying to understand ourselves. Despite other differences, they all interpret man in relation to nature, rejecting transcendent, metaphysical or religious understanding of the human condition. They do not solve the contradiction between what we are and what we ought to be. Brunner sees the human contradiction as comprehensible only in terms of a God to whose word we must respond. This is not communication by language; it refers to the fundamental character of personal relations. People are persons in so far as they can freely say to each other what they think and feel. This communication is possible in so far as we recognise that God speaks to us and respond to Him. Brunner sees responsibility as the key to personality. The Biblical doctrine of man, created in the image of God and capable of responding to God's Word, is the key to recovering an effective sense of responsibility. With profound penetration and power, Brunner applies his thesis to such vexed questions as individuality and community, character, relations between man and woman, relations between soul and body. Man in Revolt explains our frustration and confusion about ourselves, and why the Christian view of man, of his place in nature and history, is the truth which man both needs and seeks in the search for himself.

Table of Contents:
Contents: AUTHOR'S PREFACE (TO THE GERMAN EDITION) TRANSLATOR'S NOTE. INTRODUCTION THE QUESTION OF MAN I. THE RIDDLE OF MAN II. MAN'S OWN VIEW OF HIS SIGNIFICANCE III. THE VARIETY OF THE VIEWS OF MAN MAIN SECTION I FOUNDATIONS IV. THE PRESUPPOSITIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF MAN (a) The Word of God as the Source of Knowledge 1 Knowledge without Presuppositions? 2. The Principle of Empirical Criticism 3. Man viewed from 'above' his Present Existence 4. The Forms in which the Word of God is expressed 5. Natural Knowledge and the Knowledge of Faith (b) The Word of God as the Source of Being 1. The Word of God as the Ground of Being 2. The Being of God: the Trinity 3. The Will of God: the Decree of Election. 4. The Work of God: Creation and Redemption. V. THE ORIGIN: THE IMAGO DEI (a) The Problem. 1. The Starting Point 2. The Classical Doctrine 3. The Scientific Situation and Task (b) Man as Creation (c) The Image of God 1. The Historical Heritage 2. The Fundamental Terms of the Imago Doctrine. 3. Historical Retrospect 4. The Imago Dei and the Being of Man 5. Community in the Concrete 6. The 'Thou' as the Boundary. 7. The Body and the World 8. The Citizen of Two Worlds 9. The New Doctrine and the Ancient Doctrine 10. Religious or Rationalistic Mythology? VI. THE CONTRADICTION: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE IMAGE OF GOD 1. The Problem: the Contradiction 2. The Ecclesiastical Doctrine 3. The Reaction of Modern Theology. 4. Radical Evil 5. The Primal Contradiction: the Fall 6. The Irreparable 7. The Perversion of Man's Nature. 8. Solidarity in Sin 9. The Elements of Truth and Error in the Ecclesiastical Doctrine 10. Original Sin and Sins of Act. 11. Greater and Lesser Sins: the Ethically Good. 12. The Origin, the Contradiction, and the Law 13. The Wrath of God and Existence-unto-Death VII. THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ORIGIN AND THE CONTRADICTION IN MAN: MAN AS HE ACTUALLY IS 1. The New State of the Problem 2. The Traces of the Image of God and of the Greatness of Man 3. The Manifestations of the Contradiction and the Misery of Man. 4. The Manifestations of the Contradiction as such (a) The Conflict of opinions and the Attempt to construct a Synthesis (b) The Recognition and the Interpretation of the Contradiction in non-Christian Thought (c) Certain Particular Phenomena which manifest the Contradiction VIII. THE OBJECTIONS TO THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, AND THE RETROSPECTIVE QUESTION FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ACTUAL EXPERIENCE MAIN SECTION II DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEME IX. THE UNITY OF PERSONALITY AND ITS DECAY 1. The Unity of Personality 2. The Decay of Personal Unity X. THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND THE HUMAN REASON 1. The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Man 2. The Rational Idea of God. 3. God and Ideas 4. The Creaturely Aspect of Reason 5. The Values and the Creative Element 6. The Intellect 7. Feeling and Mysticism 8. The Spirit of Man and Evil XI. THE PROBLEM OF FREEDOM. 1. The Philosophy of Freedom and Unfreedom 2. The Christian Understanding of Freedom 3. The Christian View of Unfreedom 4. The Humanistic Objections. 5. Points of divergence from the traditional doctrine. XII. THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY 1. Individual and Individuality 2. The Ground of Self-Value 3. Self-Responsibility and its Negation 4. Various Forms of Association; Community 5. Basis of Genuine Community 6. Community and Self-Existence 7. Collectivism. 8. The Understanding of Community outside the Christian Faith XIII. CHARACTER AND VARIETIES OF CHARACTER 1. Character as Act 2. Character as a Middle Term 3. The Ambiguity of Character. 4. Varieties of Character 5. The Overcoming of Character in Faith XIV. INDIVIDUALITY AND HUMANITY. 1. The General Problem of Individuality 2. The General Problem of Humanity. 3. Race and Humanity 4. The Psychical and Mental Individuality of the Individual 5. Genius and the 'Average Man' XV. MAN AND WOMAN 1. The Sex Difference as Creation 2. The Rent, Shame and Longing. 3. The Masculine and the Feminine Nature 4. Sex and Humanity 5. The Problem of Order XVI. SOUL AND BODY 1. Soul and Spirit. 2. The Body 3. Theories of the Relation between Body and Soul 4. The Meaning of the Body in the Light of the Creation 5. Nature and Creation XVII. THE GROWTH OF MAN AND THE DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION. 1. The Three Forms of the Idea of Evolution 2. Hypothesis and Knowledge. 3. The Limits of Genetic Thought 4. Evolution, Creation and Sin 5. Growth and Spiritual Being. XVIII. MAN IN THE COSMOS 1. The Threefold Boundary. 2. Man in the Centre of the World 3. Man and the Animals 4. Man in Infinite Space 5. The World and its Meaning 6. The Historical and the Non-historical View of the Universe 7. The Modern Myth 8. Pantheism and Responsibility 9. The Element of Decision XIX. MAN IN HISTORY. 1. The Philosophy of History and the Christian Understanding of History 2. The Person as Historical 3. The Personal Meaning of History 4. World History and Redemption XX. MAN IN HIS EARTHLY LIFE; AND DEATH. 1. The Natural Understanding of Death and of 1 Eternal Destiny 2. The Eternal Destiny 3. Mortality and Existence-unto-Death 4. Eternal Death 5. The Conquest of Death APPENDIX INDEX