Human Nature in the Light of Revelation - Essay Example

?Insert Human nature in the light of Revelation Although the modern man takes the image of a complicated being, having been a decent of past generations, the backdrop of ideal modern man according to GS in his or her aspirations and challenges being unique among creatures of God. GS confidently draws upon interdisciplinary approach to prove the argument about the ideal modern man by arguing that the creation of the modern man in the likeness of the Supreme Deity makes him or her unique among other creatures (Healy 31). In light of this, modern man has both human and a joint societal attributes. The divide between God and man was the result of human sin and fall from heaven. But even in a fallen position, modern man is under obligation to observe righteousness by refraining from lies during our existence. Human beings must therefore cultivate real liberty by behaving in a way that is both natural and moral as the first humanity did before sin separated them with God. GS adds that in total despair, there is a heavenly spirit of conscience within the midst of human beings. Death is therefore a painful reminder to humans, of the life in the beginning; it spreads a spirit of melancholy and despair in people’s souls, but strongly delivers the message of the significance and might of God when human beings have no hope left in our hearts. Death has been, according to GS, a natural vocation by God in the current environment. Then GS proceeds with the argument, drawing upon the anthropological aspect of theology in Jesus Christ, the First Man, and the human existence being at the whims of the Supreme Deity (Schu 64). By virtue of Jesus being the God’s son and messenger, He creates the God’s power in human beings by taking the form of a human being, and through God’s spiritual power, Jesus redeems the image and integrity of man who is naturally a sinner. Jesus, therefore, midwifes the spiritual redemption of human beings (Healy 34-41). Through Jesus association with the common man, the God’s Son casts into history the influence of a rejuvenated but rarely seen recognition that individual aspirations can only be achieved when one is in a communion. In Jesus, the typical modern man is, therefore, expected to fulfil supernatural love by expressing love to their neighbours. This implies that only a candid gift of individuality effectively satisfies human character, and the Supreme Deity exposes His intimate nature in Jesus in order to enable human beings to appreciate this natural gift. This implies that God’s natural love supports and strengthens communal love (Torrell 252-259). GS therefore jogs human memory that communal love basically embodies the success of the modern man. Love is therefore the fruitful aspect of human understanding and willingness that survives in human liberty. It is this importance of love as the satisfaction of the supernatural will and spirit of God that forms the basis of John Paul II’s philosophy of modern man and the importance of the body. Theology of the body by Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II wrote important philosophies such as theology of man in Gaudium et Specs. A number of important concepts of his philosophy were aimed at restructuring the mentality of the Catholic Church to be in line with the modern thinking of evolved man. In this important edict, the Pope underscored the significance of re-examining one’s relationship with Christ in the early 21st Century. He argued that the modern man would not be rescued from sin and challenges of life by a strategy, but by an important eternal Man (Schu 65). In the “Gaudium et Specs”, the Pope underscored the closeness of man to God and the former’s reliance on the Supreme Deity and His aspirations. He argued that without the God as the Creator, there would be no creation. In light of this, freedom of the body is dependent upon the truth (Torrell 267). The pope’s theology of the body, therefore, discredits submission of oneself to contingency and scepticism as the quest for non-existent freedom which deviates from the actual truth. John Paul fostered a disparate pursuit of righteousness based on truth in religious issues. Basing his philosophical arguments on a number of sources like Thomism, Pope labelled the mutually reinforcing linkage between conviction and reason, and underscored the fact that theologians ought to concentrate on that connection. Above all, Schu (75) points out Pope John Paul II’s philosophy in the Gaudium et Spes elaborated constant human quest for essence of certain issues in life: human origins, the goal of a modern man in life, the existence of sin and the sorrow, the unavoidability of loss of human life, the darkness surrounding human existence and from there all the natural questions that modern man cannot wish away. In most cases, especially in the modern environment, the pope asserted that issues of this kind occupied the human mind and piled pressure upon it to locate a wholesome and clear response. In light of the lack of a known source of solutions to these issues, Gaudium et Spes points to Jesus Christ as the only authoritative source of answer to the questions; that, he is the most important institution upon which the fate of mortal humans rests. In “Meditating on the Andrei Rublev”, man as God’s most important creation is the basis of human closeness to and similarities to God in terms of image (Torrell, 82). By asserting that human beings have the capacity to comprehend and mimic some of qualities of the Supreme Deity, Christians basically emphasize their gift and worthiness before God. These attributes ranging from spiritual, logical, relational qualities are unique to humanity, though in a remarkably limited manner. But, like the Creator, human beings are moral creatures, hence the entrusting of other creatures to man’s care. Human beings show dexterity, wisdom, kindness, love, holiness, fairness, and honesty that forms the basis of God’s teachings through Jesus Christ. These traits differ in some level from those that God have, hence the hierarchy. In Him these manly traits are overarching and perfect. God’s divinity differentiates Him in kind from human beings, but provides an image upon which humans can base their understanding of the image of God (Torrell 83-87). These qualities include metaphysical traits like self-existence (autonomy), immutability (constancy), infinity (might), and eternality. In Christian teachings, the differences between the Creator and the creation are the main reason why human beings need salvation to come closer to God after having abused their God-given liberty. The path back to God’s righteousness and principles or redemption can only be realized through entrusting one’s destiny in Jesus Christ and welcoming his atoning crucifixion that paid the price of human sins. Although, one’s soul where love exists is arguably separate from his or her own body, spousal love that normally resides in one’s soul rekindles an interesting theological debate. According to the theology of the body, spousal love exists in a single body entity therefore it ought to be cherished and nurtured in as much as Christ protects the Church (Schu 65). Apparently, for one to be somebody else’s spouse, they must leave their parents and be united in marriage, and the two spouses shall be deemed as one flesh. In light of this biblical scripture, the spousal love is therefore backed up by physical attributes (flesh), and not purely a separable, temporal soul. Interestingly, the separation of flesh from one’s soul can only be realized in death, hence the need for permanence of marriage. The Thomistic emphasis of wholeness of human desire holds that the internal or spiritual character is not discernible to the human physical senses, but it remains important to the responses to the outward nature that is seen, directly or indirectly by human beings. The repercussion of this, according to Thomas is that the unseen inner nature of God’s creation is the outcome, thus more vital than the physical attributes which human senses can identify. Yet little is recognized about the internal, divine, dimension of realism which when coupled with the physical attributes, contributes to the wholeness of human beings. This is partly because spirituality is unnoticeable to the five body senses and is, thus beyond ken of scientists. Consequently its analyses have remained the preserve of religion, which science has attempted to disprove. In light of this, the theology of the body reveals that physical attributes in human beings are dependent upon and compliment the spiritual attributes and vice versa to achieve wholeness. Works Cited Healy, Mary. Men and women are from Eden: A study guide to John Paul II’s theology of the body. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2005. Schu, L.C., Walter. “The Whole Human Person at a Glance.” The Splendor of Love: John Paul II’s Vision for Marriage and Family. New Hope: New Hope Publications, 2003. Torrell, O.P., and Jean-Pierre. “Image and Beatitude.” Saint Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master. 2. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2003. Torrell, O.P., Jean-Pierre. “A Certain Idea of Man.” Saint Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master. 2. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2003. Read More