Thesis (Ph. D.)--Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [262]-280).

The thesis named: "The human dignity in the writings of Pope John-Paul II." tries to give a general overview of the theological-anthropological viewpoints of the teaching of the Pope John Paul II concerning the protection of the dignity of human being. The thesis begins by touching the life stages of the Polish priest, bishop and cardinal Karol Wojtyla and later the pontificate of the pope John Paul II. The thesis looks on particular events which had made an impact on his personality orienting his whole being to the protection of human rights and dignity of every human being. The second part of the thesis looks at particular theological- anthropological aspects and statements which make up the corner stones of John Paul II's teaching. The third part then goes on to focus on certain impulses given by the signs of the times and serious topics which lead the pope to raise his voice to call for protection of human rights and dignity of every single human being.

This thesis seeks to show that Charles Williams makes a significant contribution to theology, and it demonstrates the nature of that contribution. A pattern of theological themes centering on the Incarnation, emphasizing the humanity of Christ, is repeated throughout his works. For Williams, human beings are images of the coinherent Godhead. His theological anthropology further develops through his understanding of imaging, as shown for instance in the Incarnation, and in Dante's characterization of Beatrice as a God bearer. His view of images is built from Coleridge's understanding of the nature of a symbol. This picture of imaging is widely applied, first and foremost to relationships of love, seen as potential incarnate images of grace. Williams seeks to extend his picture to all relationships and, further, to whatever man must do to go beyond himself to an encounter with God. He believes that man is responsible for his brother, in practice by bearing his brother's burdens, with substitutionary acts of vicarious love. A further part of his thinking then views people as living in coinherent relationships, and the universe as a web of coinherent relations. He draws his examples of natural coinherent relations from the world of commerce with its exchange and substitution of labors and from the child living within its mother, and builds a picture of what he calls the City, a broader coinherent society. Coinherence begins and flows from the Trinity and the Incarnation and then is found in relationships between God and man: in the Church, in the future City of God, and in all Creation. The Fall brings about the breakdown of the coinherence of God and man and man and man, and that breakdown is a central characteristic of sin. Williams believes that a regenerated coinherence in Christ brings about a renewal of mankind.