THE CHRISTIAN CONCEPT OF

THE HUMAN PERSON

Someone said:
We are three persons:
the person I THINK I AM
the person YOU THINK I AM
the person I REALLY AM.

Who are we really?

Genesis
God said, let us make man in

our own image, in the likeness

of ourselves
God created man in the image

of himself, in the image of God

he created him, male and
female he created them.

The Image of God

What does it
mean to be
an image of
God?

Genesis: Humans
are not only part
and parcel of the
world, fully and
deeply
integrated to it.
but also the climax of Gods
creative activitywe are Gods
images!

To be an image of God is..

to affirm the
sacredness of the
human persons
dignity even before any
human accomplishment.

To be an image of God is
to reflect another who comes
first, another with whom we are
tightly bound in relationship.
The human being as image of
God is capable of self-giving.
He/she must respond to God by
giving himself or herself to
others.

To be an image of God is
to live out our imagehood.
We first receive love and in return
we love in imitation of the love we
have been given.
We not only proclaim
joyfully that gift of
imagehood but we must
also strive to use it and
other gifts that come with it
for others in the

Thus
To

be an image of God is a
summon to live out the
fullness of our gifts by moving
out of ourselves and
entering the world of others
in good relationships.

 To

be an image
is to be a cocreator, sharing
in Gods royal
activity of lifegiving, justicedoing, and
peace-making.

Nakikita sya bilang isang taong

nakikipag-ugnayan sa kanyang
paligid at sa kapwa.
Sinusuri sya sa kanyang paguugali at kaugnayan sa ibang tao.
to be a real human person
is to LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE
and BE RECOGNIZED BY
OUR COMMUNITY

The Dignity of the Human Person

Created in Gods
image
Child of the Father
Redeemed by the
Incarnate Son of God
Temple & Indwelling
of the Holy Spirit
Called to a Noble
Destiny

ONTOLOGICAL DIGNITY
The

dignity
(value/worth) of
the human
person is based
on the
fundamental fact
that he/she is a
human being.

The ontological dignity of the human

person must be respected, protected

This should not be

violated and should never
be exploited (from womb
to tomb)
The worth of the person is
not based on education,
wealth, his/her
contribution to society,
nor his/her virtues
Even if he/she has lost
his/her moral dignity, the
ontological dignity
remains.

A child of God

His moral dignity (mans moral

standing) may be lost because of
sin
However, his ontological dignity
remains.
GOD is the Lord of Life.
Respect the rights of our Creator.
Man as long as he lives can still
regain his moral dignity--to live as a
true child of God, friend-brotherdisciple of Christ, temple of the Holy
Spirit.

NATURE OF HUMAN PERSONS

God created us :
Open, Relational
Rational, Conscious
Embodied Spirit
Historical Reality
Unique yet Fundamentally Equal

OPEN, RELATIONAL

No man is an island
Being a person means
being BY, WITH, and FOR
others.

RATIONAL, CONSCIOUS BEING

We image the
Creators knowing
& loving acts.
Self-awareness.
Conscious of our
outgoing acts.
Free-will
This is the basis of
our moral life.

EMBODIED SPIRIT

Unity between our

body & soul

What does that mean?

It implies that
he/she must not
be treated as an
object nor as a
means to an
end.

IT IS A LAW OF HUMAN LIFE,

AS CERTAIN AS GRAVITY TO
LIVE FULLY, WE MUST
LEARN TO USE THINGS AND
LOVE PEOPLE
NOT LOVE THINGS AND
USE PEOPLE
Dalai Lama

We are EMBODIED SPIRITS

each person is composed of
body and soul
Genesis 2:7

The LORD GOD formed man out

of the clay of the ground and
blew into his nostrils the breath
of life, and so man became a
living being.

BODY

SOUL

Clay of the ground

breath of life

We relate to the
world through our
bodies

Spiritual
powers [reason,

Material

Spiritual

limited

transcendent

freedom, will]

Both are essential components of being

INTEGRATED HUMAN PERSONS

Human body

Is not a simple accessory

but rather as something
integral in our becoming
person.
We need our bodies, our
being in our relationships.

Human body

Our bodily expression of

love in relationships must
be commensurate to the
commitment that we have
for other persons.

As embodied spirit

Need to recognize and respect our

bodys limits and potentials.
Potentials: acting as co-agents with God to
make this world a better place to live.
Limitations: over powered by ones
covetousness we could turn this world into
a death dealing place. Abuse of ones
bodily faculties.

Thus

As part of the world we

are required to consider
the negative effects in the
positive discoveries of
technology and to weigh
their moral importance.

Human needs

 Our

need for material things is

obvious.
These material things have a subtle
affect on our health and behavior.
These needs could be transcended
as values.
If our relation to things is ordered rightly,
we recognize that our value comes not from
our possessions but from being a creature
of God.

HISTORICAL REALITY

We develop as persons in discernible

stages

This baby would not have

been alive if God had not
given it life.
For this reason, we
bow our knees
before God our Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth
comes forth.

Historical Reality
In exercising freedom, we
from ourselves WALK
towards true freedom.
Improve ourselves.
We are not static We
have a goal, a journey, a
race to finish, a task given
by God
To HOPE is to march back
on our feet, even to crawl
to do Gods will with
Gods GRACE.

UnIqUe yet EQUAL !!!

Despite physical,
intellectual, social, &
moral differences
we are EQUAL.
The basis of our
equality is rooted on
the truths of the
dignity of human
persons.

HUMAN AS A PERSON

What is a Human Person?

intelligent

made in the image

and likeness
of God

free

has inviolable rights

being of moral worth

Always an end ,
never as means

to be respected

and recognized

unity of body and soul

the subject
of ones own moral acts.

What kind

of Anthropology?

Human
person
-must have

developed
exercisable
cognitive
capacities or
abilities.

Human
being
Difference?

-not all human

beings are
persons?
-has of itself no
moral
significance?

All human
beings are persons!
-there should be
no distinction
between
a human being
and a human
person.

-never to be
considered
as a mere means
or object of use.

-just treatment is
due to all
human beings
by virtue of
their humanity.

If we want to be
authentic,
To be our true selves,
We need to place
ourselves before God
who knows us fully well.

How then should we treat

What you did to the

least of your neighbors,
you did for Me. -Mt. 25

Our body, our life

Other people
Our patient
The poor & destitute
The handicapped, the
old, the sick & the
dying
Those in prison
Our enemies
The developing
human being