What is a Human? The Porous Self in Biblical Theology

What kind of “self” does the Bible actually assume you and I are?In Episode 2 of Gospel, Not Shame, we take a step back and ask a foundational question: What is a human being according to Scripture? Before we can understand Sin, Death, or salvation, we need to understand the nature of the human person itself.Modern Western culture often imagines the self as sealed, autonomous, and internally self-contained. But the Bible describes something different. Drawing from Genesis, temple theology, and ancient Near Eastern context, this episode explores the human being as living sacred space—formed from dust, animated by divine breath, and structured for indwelling presence.If humans are porous, responsive "statues" of God, according to Genesis 1–2, or "temples" of the Spirit, according to Paul, then biblical language about dwelling, reigning, and transformation begins to make new sense. This episode lays the anthropological groundwork for the rest of Season 3, and moves us toward rethinking some of the core elements of the Gospel story itself.Based on Tyson Putthoff’s new, groundbreaking book: I, Monster: A New Model for Understanding Sin, Death, and Human Nature (Hekhal, 2026).Grab your copy at ⁠Amazon⁠, ⁠Barnes & Noble⁠, or any of your favorite booksellers.