Irenaeus of Lyons who was a bishop in the early Christian church and a prominent theologian in the second century AD reportedly said, “The glory of God is a human being fully alive; and to be alive consists in beholding God.” The quote emphasizes the idea that human beings are meant to live fully and abundantly, in a way that reflects the glory of God. This involves not only physical health and vitality, but also a spiritual connection to God that allows us to truly live and thrive. The basis for Irenaeus’ sentiment can be found in the Gospel for it was Jesus himself who declared that his purpose for coming into the world was so that humanity “may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
These two statements embody the aim of Christian humanistic outlook which is to make God’s glory seen and felt by humanity being fully and truly itself as intended by its Creator. What needs to be explicated is what does it mean for human beings to be authentically and fully themselves? How is it manifested in human attitudes, behavior and relationship with God, with fellow human beings, and with all of creation? To be fully alive, or to flourish, is a notion so rich and varied, it bears many hues. It may encompass our physical and social well-being, or the attainment of worldly success. It may speak to a life imbued with purpose, one that finds fulfillment in all its moments, or to the pursuit of an admirable existence. To some, it may mean a deep and intimate communion with the divine, as they seek to connect with the shared community of God. And yet, the implications of flourishing may shift and change, depending on the social, cultural, and temporal context being considered.
Catholic theological anthropology proposes a vision of human flourishing distinctly and integrally tied to our relationship with God and with fellow human beings as well as all of God’s creation. According to this vision, human flourishing is not simply a matter of individual success or achievement, but rather a holistic and integrated state of being. It is a state in which we are in right relationship with God, experiencing a deep and abiding sense of love, grace, and belonging. It is also a state in which we are in right relationship with one another, living in a community marked by compassion, justice, and mutual care. And it is a state in which we are in right relationship with the natural world, recognizing our role as stewards of creation and seeking to live in harmony with the rest of God's creatures.
So what does authentic Christian personhood look like? Following are some elements of this vision of being authentically human in the Christian vision.
To Become Fully the Image of God
The doctrine of the imago Dei, derived from the words of Genesis 1:27, declares that when God chose to create humanity, we were fashioned in the likeness of God – not in the sense of physical image of the infinite, but imbued with qualities that reflect the divine. These include free will, wisdom, reason, moral conscience, a sense of justice, and love for others. While some may be tempted to allow this special association with God to inflate their sense of self-importance, such an attitude is misguided. The profound dignity that the Creator has bestowed upon us instead reinforces the fundamental importance of human relationships. By sharing His very nature with us, God reveals that we are “not just something, but someone.” Like the divine, we possess the ability to know ourselves, to possess ourselves, and to offer ourselves freely in communion with others.[1] According to Pope Francis, “The creation accounts in the book of Genesis contain, in their own symbolic and narrative language, profound teachings about human existence and its historical reality. They suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself.”[2]
Genuine relationship requires a willingness to fully acknowledge, appreciate, and cherish the other person with love, rather than dominating or oppressing them. It is important, therefore, that Christians understand the mandate of “dominion” in Genesis 1:28 through the lens of relationship rather than power. Pope Francis asserted, “The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to ‘till and keep’ the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). ‘Tilling’ refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while ‘keeping’ means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature.”[3] When this relationship with nature is jeopardized due to misinterpretation of God’s mandate, our relationship with our human brothers and sisters are also negatively impacted. And as in interconnected chain, our relationships with ourself and with God are likewise broken.[4] Thus, becoming human in the Christian outlook is to become more truly the image of God in our set of relationships that extends to all facets of existence.
To be Perfect as the Heavenly God is Perfect (Matt. 5:48)
The poet Alexander Pope affirmed, “To err is human.” Being human has long been regarded as a license to err, a declaration of our frailties in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual spheres. While we may indeed falter and display a multitude of moral imperfections, religious traditions, including Christianity, have consistently urged their followers to refuse complacency in the face of their shortcomings. To become truly human is not to accept the reality of our deficiencies and simply make do with our limitations. Rather, it is to strive to overcome them with both our personal effort and the grace of God. We are called by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to rise above our imperfections and become perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect.
In our contemporary understanding of the word ‘perfect,’ Jesus’ exhortation seems like an extraordinarily tall order. According to Jonathan Pennington, the contemporary understanding of the word denotes a state of “moral perfection, absolute purity, and even sinlessness.”[5] This is a source of great misunderstanding and confusion. How can we carry out a sinless life when the doctrine of the fall tells us that sin is inherently a part of human existence even from the moment of our birth? Pennington, however, asserted that the original Greek word ‘τέλειος’ as it appears in the New Testament can be more accurately translated as ‘whole,’ ‘complete,’ or ‘virtuous.’[6] Therefore, in the context of Jesus’ sermon, the call to perfection is tantamount to an exhortation to grow in spiritual maturity and integrity. These qualities serve as the antidote to the broken relationship with God due to the sins of disobedience and hubris. It implies growth in relationship with God, to more fully embody God’s nature, to more clearly become the imago Dei as God intended when God created each of us. As Pope Benedict XVI assured, “Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.”[7]
To Become Disciples of Christ
The Christian who is steeped in spiritual maturity and has achieved authentic personhood, naturally becomes a devoted disciple of Christ, and proclaims the Kingdom of God. To become a disciple of Christ means to be firmly attached to the person, the teachings, and the vision of Christ about the kingdom of heaven, governed by justice, peace, and harmony. It is a kingdom where the most ferocious of natural enemies lie side by side without fear of becoming each other's prey, and where even infants can fearlessly lead dangerous lions and frolic with venomous cobras (Isaiah 11:6-8). In this heavenly realm, where the values of divinity reign supreme, there is no place for fear of violence and harm. Instead, there is perfect harmony among all creatures of nature and peace between human beings and the natural world. Thus, to become a disciple of Christ means to embrace the role that is an intrinsic part of our relationship with God, defined by our being the imago Dei.
As disciples of Christ, we are called to embrace the sacred task of proclaiming the Good News to all of creation. In Mark 16:15, Jesus instructs his disciples to "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation," emphasizing the universality of the message. The prophet Isaiah also envisioned a world in which the knowledge of the Lord fills the entire earth, with no corner left untouched by divine wisdom (11:9). The Good News is not meant for human beings alone but is to be celebrated by all of creation, as expressed in the exultant words of Isaiah, "Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth! Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones" (49:13). This is a world in which even the mountains burst into song, overcome with the goodness of God. To be true disciples, we must cultivate a deep and abiding relationship with all that fills the earth and the cosmos. Only through openness and humility can we begin to comprehend the vastness of God's creation and the immense joy that comes with proclaiming the Good News to all of it.
Another important mission of the disciple of Christ is to be a community of love and service. In commanding his disciples to love one another as He had loved them, Jesus emphasized the centrality of love in the relationship between Himself and his followers, and among the followers themselves. It is through this bond of love that Christ's disciples are identified, and it is through this love that the disciple can extend themselves to the most vulnerable and marginalized. For Christ declared that by loving these individuals, we love Him (Mattew 25). But the scope of this love extends beyond human beings, encompassing all of creation. Christ is the "firstborn of all creation" (Col. 1:15), and it is through Him that "all things have been created...and in Him all things hold together" (Col. 1:16-17). His love for us and for all of creation is demonstrated in his reconciling of all things to himself through his cross and resurrection (Col. 1:20). Therefore, to be a disciple of Christ is to be in relationship not only with Him, but also with all of creation which was brought into existence through the Word.
[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 375.
[2] Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 2015, no. 66, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html.
[3] Pope Francis, Laudato Si, no. 67.
[4] Pope Francis, Laudato Si, no. 70.
[5] Jonathan T. Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Penguin Books, 2017), 138.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Pope Benedict XVI, Homily for the Solemn Inauguration of the Petrine Ministry, April 24, 2005, https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2005/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20050424_inizio-pontificato.html
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