What does it mean to be human? In conversation with Daniel P. Veldsman

Abstract

What does it mean to be human? This article engages with the work of Prof Daniel P. Veldsman, investigating his narrative on human identity, evolution and self-understanding. Veldsman’s contribution to Christian anthropology engages with the natural sciences, acknowledging that to be human is to be part of the unfolding evolutionary processes. In addition, to be human is not only to know our limitations, to be present in the ‘now’, but also to dare to transcend ourselves by means of curiosity, mystery and a propensity for the divine. Lastly, this article explores the communal nature of being human; that to be human is to be part of something bigger than the individual.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article celebrates the work of Danial P. Veldsman and uses his work as a conversation partner in the science-and-religion discourse.