Page 44 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Church Traditions for a Christian Psychology

of the gift”: “Introducing…a new dimension, Theological History
a new criterion of understanding and of inter- Catholic psychology is a metaphysical narrative
pretation that we will call ‘hermeneutics of the psychology that dwells within a cosmic and “ca-
gift’” (John Paul II, 1984/2006, 13:2). It is go- tholic” chronicle, a grand, overarching account
verned by the “law of the gift”: From what man of tragedy and triumph, a narrative of nature
is as a person, that is, a being that possesses it- and grace. With an obvious assumption of the-
self and governs itself, follows that he can “give ism (Vitz, 2009, p. 43), this is the story of the
himself,” he can make himself a gift for others, deep structure of reality, the story of person and
without thereby violating his ontic status. The communion. It is shrouded and revealed in the
“law of the gift” is inscribed, so to speak, in the mystery of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Re-
very being of the person. (Wojtyła, 1974/2013, surrection (cf. Brugger, 2009; IPS Group, 2013).
p. 281) It is the story told by Augustine (ca. 396/1982)
of four ages of the human race: From this we
Person and Communion grasp that there are four different phases even in
Catholic psychology is a personalist psycholo- [the life of] one man, and after the progressive
gy, an authentic psychology of persons. It reco- completion of these he will abide in eternal life.
gnizes the person as a “unique unrepeatable hu- Indeed, because it was necessary and just that
man reality” (John Paul II, 1979, n. 13), and that we be born in an animal, carnal state after our
“a person has value by the simple fact that he is nature had sinned and lost the spiritual blessed-
a person” (John Paul II, 1994, p. 202). The very ness which is signified by the name paradise, the
word, “person,” is richly laden with meaning: first phase is [our] activity prior to the Law; the
The term “person” has been coined to signify second, under the Law; the third, under grace;
that a man cannot wholly be contained within and the fourth, in peace. (66:3; cf. 61:7)
the concept “individual member of the species,” It is the “theological prehistory” and “salvation
but that there is something more to him [em- history” recounted by John Paul II of “original
phasis added], a particular richness and perfec- innocence” and the “state of integral nature”
tion in the manner of his being, which can only (status naturae integrae), “original sin” and the
be brought out by the use of the word “person.” “state of fallen nature” (status naturae lapsae),
(Wojtyła, 1960/1981, p. 22) “redemption of the body,” and “resurrection
Recognizing the “great gulf that separates the of the body” (1984/2006, 3:3, 4:1-5, 64:1, 66:6;
world of persons from the world of things,” the 68:4).
person is both subject and object, not just
“something,” but also “somebody” (Wojtyła, The Nature of Persons
1960/1981, p. 21). From this truth flows the The mystery of persons is made manifest in
“personalistic principle”: The person is the kind the nature of persons. “God created man in
of good which does not admit of use and can- his own image, in the image of God he created
not be treated as an object of use and as such him; male and female he created them” (Genesis
the means to an end….The person is a good to- 1:27, RSV). Just as the Trinity is a rational, free,
wards which the only proper and adequate atti- and relational communion of persons, so are
tude is love. (Wojtyła, 1960/1981, p. 41) human persons created to be rational, free, and
Catholic psychology is a psychology of commu- relational (cf. Brugger, 2009; IPS Group, 2013).
nion, a psychology of gift in relationship. Hu- As Christ in the fullness of divinity took on the
man persons are created out of love for love. fullness of humanity in the Incarnation, human
Man cannot live without love. He remains a embodiment is forever sanctified and raised up
being that is incomprehensible for himself, his (cf. Gaudium et spes, 22:1, cited in John Paul II,
life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if 1979, n. 8).
he does not encounter love, if he does not ex-
perience it and make it his own, if he does not Substance and Relation
participate intimately in it. (John Paul II, 1979, Catholic psychology is a psychology of sub-
n. 10) stance and relation. Wojtyła (1974/2013), refer-

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