The very idea of “masculinity” is under assault in contemporary culture. Often, our culture’s defenses against this assault are as bad as the assault itself. In a manner that both acknowledges and transcends these challenges, Scripture offers a true and noble perspective on man’s dignity. In these three sessions, we will consider the topic of man’s dignity in theological perspective, i.e., in light of God’s wonderful works of nature, grace, and glory. We will consider the true nature of man’s dignity, sin’s counterfeit form of dignity, the gospel’s cure of this counterfeit form, and what it means to pursue the dignified calling for which we were made and remade in Jesus Christ.
Below are 3 sessions and a Q&A from the 2025 St. Paul’s Men’s Summit in Orlando, Florida on April 4-5. The summit was titled “Crowned with Glory & Honor: Exploring Man’s Dignity and Destiny Through Theological Anthropology.”
Session 1: Defining Man’s Dignity. In this session, we lay out the contemporary challenges and responses to man’s dignity and contemplates several ways ancient and contemporary philosophers define dignity. Beyond culture and philosophy, we will see how Psalm 8 illumines the true nature of man’s dignity.
Session 2: Counterfeit Dignity and its Cure. Sin provides a counterfeit form of dignity—“superbia,” by which man discounts God’s glory and majesty and seeks to rise above his God-given station at the expense of his neighbor’s dignity. Dr. Swain explains God’s gracious cure to sin’s counterfeit form of dignity. In the good news of Jesus’ humiliation and exaltation, the God who wonderfully made us more wonderfully restores man’s dignity, providing a sure foundation on which we may pursue our call to dignity.
Session 3: Called to Dignity. In this final session, Dr. Swain considers the call to dignity that belongs to those made and remade for honor and glory in Jesus Christ. What are the great things to which God calls us? How should we respond when our pursuit of great things is met with indignity? And how may we expect God to respond?
Q&A: Following Dr. Swain’s comprehensive exploration of human dignity through theological anthropology, he is joined by Professor Mike Glodo and Pastor Scott Hunt for a questions and answers with Summit attendees.
