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Restoring What it Means to Be Human
an interview with:
Dr. Jennifer Patterson
Executive Director at the Colson Center’s Institute for Christian Anthropology
We’re living through a time of growing confusion about what it means to be human—from relationships mediated by screens rather than embodied presence, to the belief that biological sex can change to match an internal feeling; from claims of AI surpassing human intelligence to a crisis of meaninglessness among youth. In light of this confusion, the Colson Center is investing in a long-term vision to restore biblical clarity about what it means to be human. That is why we are eager to launch the Institute for Christian Anthropology. In this interview, Dr. Jennifer Patterson, executive director of the Institute, shares how this work builds on the Identity Project (IDP) and equips Christians to live faithfully in this cultural moment.
You’re stepping into leadership of the Institute for Christian Anthropology at a pivotal moment. Can you share a little about your background and the journey that led you to this work?
I worked in public policy for decades on issues like education, welfare, and health care. This showed me that our responses to basic needs are shaped by our views of what it means to be human. For example, there’s a tendency to treat poverty as a merely material problem, but that ignores relational breakdown that prevents the flourishing for which we were designed as God’s image bearers. Recovering sight of this design has grown even more challenging because of legal and policy decisions to redefine marriage and biological sex, denying created realities.
Of course, the challenge goes much deeper than public policy. To reflect more on these questions, I pursued theological study and focused on the doctrine of the image of God. Building on the coalition work I’ve done in the public policy sphere, my efforts with the Institute will gather scholars and leaders to develop resources and consensus about restoring what it means to live as image bearers.
Many of our supporters are familiar with the Identity Project. How would you describe The Institute, and how does it build on what IDP started?
So many of the challenges we face in culture today come from confusion about what it means to be human. The Identity Project represents the opening phase of our efforts to address this confusion by delivering tools for parents, pastors, and teachers to help the next generation discover their God-given identity. Now the Institute for Christian Anthropology will deepen the Colson Center’s work to restore a biblical vision of what it means to live as God’s image bearers.
The Institute for Christian Anthropology is a long-term initiative to help believers address the roots of our generation’s questions about the nature and purpose of human beings. We’ll focus especially on three areas: embodiment (honoring God with our bodies); technology (sustaining our human future in an age of AI); and meaning (confronting the growing crisis of despair). The initiative will draw on the work of Christian scholars to produce practical resources that shape how we approach our callings to restore clarity in these areas.
Christians have been warning for years that once we untether identity from a biblical understanding of humanity, we would face deep cultural consequences. How are we now seeing those warnings become reality?
One place we see a stark denial of the givenness of human nature is in the false message of transgenderism. It’s heartbreaking to hear the regret expressed by detransitioners who acted on that message only to find that it didn’t offer the peace they sought.
Technology—especially AI—is advancing rapidly. What does it look like to “sustain our human future” in this kind of technological age?
The challenges that we face because of rapidly advancing technology remind us that Christianity is not only about what we believe but about how we live in all areas. Beliefs and habits matter. How we engage in technology will shape us. Will we drift toward increased isolation and disembodied interaction with virtual reality, or will we actively pursue a path that critically engages technology and develops it in ways that can serve true human flourishing?
The Institute is described as a “generational project.” What makes this work different from a short-term initiative, and why is a long horizon necessary?
The world around us constantly changes and presents new challenges to what it means to be human. The Institute will work with Christian scholars to address gaps and emerging challenges on an ongoing basis. The goal of the resources produced by the Institute is to equip Christians to pursue their callings in ways that restore clarity in their spheres of influence about what it means to be human. Seeking this kind of renewal in a school or a business, for example, is not a solitary endeavor but requires concerted, long-term effort.
For ministry partners who have invested in this work, what kind of long-term impact do you pray future generations of Christians will experience because of the Institute for Christian Anthropology?
One of the reasons I’m excited to join the Colson Center is because the ministry equips Christians to put faith into practice in all areas of their lives. By God’s grace, that has ripple effects that move through families, communities, and generations.
I am grateful for our ministry partners who make this work possible, and I look forward to sharing more about this initiative in the coming year.
Be on the lookout for more updates on the ICA coming in Fall 2026.