September ‘Witness’: Lutheran theology of the body

(LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

Life in the human body is riddled with tensions. We are descendants of the man created by God in His own image. At the same time, we are inheritors of Adam and Eve’s sin and of the death and corruption it wrought. We are bodies of dust, corrupted by the fall. And yet we are still God’s creation, with His Law written on our hearts.

This reality leads to a great tension within the heart of every man. In a culture no longer shaped by Christianity, there is confusion about the human body on a mass scale. Those outside of the church are left with no understanding of what their bodies were made for. Without the gift of God’s Word to guide them, they do not find the fulfillment they seek, but only confusion, debasement and, ultimately, separation from their Creator.

However, this is not the end of the story. God, who created us, also sent His Son to take on our human flesh and to die for our sins. In this wonderful mystery, we have salvation: Jesus Christ has come to restore the image of God in us.

The September issue of The Lutheran Witness looks at the theology of the human body from a Lutheran and biblical perspective. The Rev. Dr. John Kleinig writes about the purpose for which our bodies were created: eternal life with God. The Rev. Christopher Esget takes up liberal “transgender theology” and its confusion about the image of God. Dr. Beverly Yahnke gives guidance on navigating difficult conversations around these issues with our loved ones. Joshua Pauling explores the implications of the internet and AI on our embodied life. Lauren Schaidt provides a word of comfort in Christ to those whose bodies are ill or disabled. And Kendall Davis explores what Jesus’ healing ministry teaches us about God’s plan for our bodies.

“Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we see how God does not abandon our bodies to the decay of death (Psalm 16:10),” writes Davis, assistant professor of New Testament Studies at Concordia University, St. Paul, St. Paul, Minn. “Through the resurrection of His Son, God promises us that He will one day raise our bodies, too, and restore them to life.”

Pick up a copy of the September issue to read these articles and more, and stay tuned for upcoming issues on Lutheran words and their meanings (October) and the Lutheran theology of mission work (November).

To subscribe to the print LW, and to read select print content and additional web-exclusive articles, visit witness.lcms.org .

Posted Sept. 18, 2025