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

Human Being:
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
but also thetoclimax of
it.
Gods creative activity
we 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 selfgiving.
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, friendbrother-disciple 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

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 ANDDalai
USE
PEOPLELama

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

Human
person
-must have

developed
exercisable
cognitive
capacities or
abilities.

of Anthropology?

Difference
?

Human
being
-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.

human worth

-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.

human dignity

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

Our body, our

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