Theology 3: Human Person

View of human person shapes different aspects of life, political, economic, anti-racism, morality, etc. Why?

-because if we do(don’t) understand that human persons have inherent dignity, then we know to treat everyone right (or wrong) with equality, anti-racism, etc.
-treat others as Christ would

Christian view of the human person is based on what?

Our dignity and inherent value of the human person as a son or daughter of God; We're made in God's image and likeness

How did God create humans?

in his image and likeness
image: ASK ABOUT THIS
likeness: free will

5 characteristics of the human person

rational, free, good but fallen, social beings, embodied persons

Rational False Society Ideas

-HEDONISM (pleasure as in sense of satisfaction of desire is highest good and proper goal for humans)
-POSITIVISM (we know everything)

Free False Society Ideas

-Freedom as license
-FATALISM: all events are predetermined and inevitable

Good but Fallen False Society Ideas

-Human perfectibility (reason for self help books)
-sin doesn’t exist

Social Beings False Society Ideas

-RADICAL INDIVIDUALISM: interests of the individual should achieve precedence over thee state or a social group
-COLLECTIVISM: over emphasizing equality to the point that the group and its needs are more important than the person

Why did God create humans?

to be in loving relationship with God; created infinite God sized hole in hearts

Imago Dei and how we understand who humans are by knowing who God is?

God: Humans
Love: Made to lovelove/be loved
Trinity: Social Beings
Forgives us: Forgive/be forgiven
All knowing: Reason-search truth
Eternal: Souls last for all eternity
Creator from nothing: We are co-creators with God, we also create things

What is meant by all humans having a God-sized hole in our hearts? Explain.

-we try and fill our desire for God with other things, but it doesn’t work
-our spiritual nature makes us unsatisfied with just our life on earth -we’re RESTLESS in our search for God

Body and Soul relationship

they work in tandem together, intimately connected as one thing

Human dignity-what three “I” words describe it?

inherent, inviolable, inalienable

Spiritualist

believes our bodies are distinct from our personhood; consequence is GNOSTICISM which says we need to free the soul from the body (earthly materials are evil) DENIAL OF THE BODY

Materialism

denies the existence of anything not physical or that cannot be measured by scientific method; lead to DENIAL OF THE SOUL

Intellect

reason/logic; receives impression of our senses and gives meaning to those impressions; DETERMINES GOOD

What three powers of the soul?

Intellect, Will, Passion

Will

is FREE; STRIVES after GOOD that intellect chooses; ACTIONS form us into who we are; RESPONSIBLE for actions because of free will

Passions- Are passions good, bad or neutral when we first experience them? When can they become good or bad?

-Passions aren't good/evil in themselves; they are morally fine to the extent that they involve our reason and will
-Passions are morally good when they contribute to good action and bad when they contribute to bad action

Passion Appetite

A: sensations of our body that keep us alive (hunger, thirst, pain, etc.)
P: Feelings, emotions, desires (incline us to act or not, happiness, sadness, fear)

Original Holiness

God's sanctifying grace dwells in person's soul

Sanctifying grace

God dwelling in your soul in an intimate way

Original sin

act of disobedience against God, committed by our first parents at the beginning of time, and passed down to all humans; passing down a wounded relationship and wounded human nature

Original Justice

Our lives were properly ordered toward God

How the human person is properly ordered pre-fall and how the Fall causes disorder?

before the fall, our intellect, will, passions/appetites, and body were all in line with God’s will; after the fall, we have lost sight of what it means to be human and that means it’s hard for the intellect to know the truth about what is good.

How is original sin a lack?

we get a wounded relationship and human nature passed down to us

What are the general consequences of Original sin?

1 wounds our relationship with God
2 Lose Original Holiness and Original Justice
3 Human Nature is wounded but still have dignity
4 Death
5 Suffering
6 NO HEAVEN

What are the consequences on our human nature and the three powers of the soul from OG sin?

Darkening of the intellect: it is now hard for intellect to know the truth about what is good
WILL: tends toward evil instead of the Good! Concupiscence; PASSIONS APPETITES: our desires try and control us; LOST SIGHT OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN

How does grace from baptism and the other sacraments help heal us from the OG sin consequences (especially those concerning the soul)?

INTELLECT: grace helps it to know the truth, and what is really good!
WILL: grace helps us to resist concupiscence and helps us to choose good
DEATH: now is entry to Heaven
SUFFERING: can, if we choose, help redeem us (have to unite this suffering to Christ’s on the cross)

What does Imago Christi mean, what does Christ reveal to us, and why and how do we need to become like Christ?

image of Christ; Christ reveals GOD to humanity; be like Christ -> best version of yourself; actions lead us to God or away form him; STRIVE for holiness

How does Imago Christi connect to the concepts from our previous unit?

To be like Christ we need to become the best version of ourselves (holy); Matthew Kelly Article

What did you learn from the speaker on Faith and Science?

ape and human dna more similar than I thought; strong evidence of evolution

Embodied Persons False Society Ideas

ASK ABOUT THIS