Page 135 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8
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Foundational Discussions in Christian Psychology
vulnerability, are fundamental ingredients of a human spirit. The difference resides in the telic
Christian realism. Hope, meaning and healing dimension of habitus: the quality and mode of
are intrinsically connected to a wisdom that being functions within the networking dimen-
reckons human suffering not as fate and trage- sion of human relationships. It is determined in
dy but as ‘signals of transcendence’, reminding a religious understanding of ‘soulfulness’ by the
faith of the faithfulness of a covenantal God belief system and God-image.
to his promises of peace and salvation (Louw
2015:1-50). From a Christian perspective the endeavour is
to go back to the Pauline roots of spirituality be-
cause in later developments, spirituality (spiri-
Towards an integral model in pastoral an- tualitas) came to designate the non-material in
thropology contrast to the material (materialitas or corpo-
Systemic dynamics of the human soul: ralitas) (Ryan 1997:11). The reclaiming of spiri-
nēfēsh-disposition tuality as a means to articulate the humane va-
But what about the human spirit (pneuma) in lue and meaning of life, can be linked to Paul’s
an integral model for anthropology? assumption that the ‘spirit’ within the human
person is all that is ordered, led, or influenced
The following question surfaces: but where fits by the Pneuma Theou or Spiritus Dei, whereas
sarx or caro or flesh
is opposed to the de-
stiny of God for life.
Spirit and flesh de-
signate two different
ways or directions of
life. When 1 Corin-
thians 2:14-15 refers
to the ‘spiritual per-
son’ it is not referring
to a kind of escapism
from the existential
realities of life, but
a different orienta-
tion that is guided
by the principles
of the kingdom of
God. Ryan (1997:10)
clearly points out
that the contrast is
between two ways of
the human spirit (pneuma) and therefore, the life or attitudes to life (life views, paradigmatic
spiritual realm into this picture of the dynamics frameworks) rather than between the material
of the human soul? and immaterial world.
One must acknowledge that it is actually im- In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul speaks about the
possible to portray the dimension of the spirit trichotomy of spirit, soul and body. The impli-
and its representation of the existential realm of cation however is not a threefold division, but
life. However, the argument is that spirituality different perspectives within a unity. The text
brings about cohesion and a sense of integrati- should not be exploited and misused for a phi-
on and wholeness. Every element and dimen- losophical or psychological speculation about
sion is an ingredient of what can be called the three different entities and anthropological ca-
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