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Abstract
This research challenges the materialistic view of humanity by offering a biblical and orthodox anthropological counter-narrative. It posits that human existence transcends mere matter, encompassing the body, soul, and spirit created in God's image and destined for divine communion (theosis). By examining key New Testament terms, such as natural, carnal, and spiritual man, through the lens of Patristic thought, particularly Gregory Palamas and Philokalia, this study reveals a dynamic transformation process from the natural to the spiritual man. This contrasts with the reductionist approach to materialism, demonstrating the richness and depth of the biblical and Orthodox understanding of human nature. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of human identity and purpose by bridging the gap between biblical theology and contemporary philosophy, offering a fresh perspective on the complex interplay between the physical, spiritual, and divine aspects of humanity.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Hendi Hendi, Rocky Nagoya, Yaaro Harefa, Monica Santosa, Claudia Angelina, Sugianto Sugianto
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References
Bergmann, S., Rigby, K., & Scott, P. M. (2023). Introduction. In S. Bergmann, K. Rigby, & P. M. Scott (Eds.), Religion, materialism and ecology. Taylor & Francis.
Chandler, D. J. (2014). Christian spiritual formation: An integrated approach for personal and relational wholeness. InterVarsity Press.
Chrysostom, J. (2020). It is necessary then to lay it aside first. What then, some man will say; is the wisdom from without stigmatized? And yet it is the work of God. [Comments on the blog post “1 Corinthians 2:14.” https://catenabible.com/com/5750753c3c6effa740ddd817.
Cook, C. C. H. (2010). The Philokalia and mental wellbeing [Doctoral thesis, Durham University]. https://etheses.dur.ac.uk/175/
Downing, L. (2011). George Berkeley. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (Eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Metaphysics Research Lab, Department of Philosophy, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/berkeley/
Drijarkara, N. (1966). Pertjikan filsafat [Philosophical argument]. PT Pembangunan Djakarta.
Firth, R. (1959). Problem and assumption in an anthropological study of religion. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 89(2), 129-148. https://doi.org/10.2307/2844265
Green, J. B. (2008). Body, soul, and human life (studies in theological interpretation): The nature of humanity in the Bible. Baker Books.
Harrison, N. V. (2008). The human person as image and likeness of God. In M. B. Cunningham & E. Theokritoff (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Orthodox Christian Theology. Cambridge University Press.
Hayes, C. (2015). Deus in se et Deus pro nobis: The transfiguration in the theology of Gregory Palamas and its importance for Catholic theology [Doctoral thesis, Duquesne University]. https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/640
Hendi. (2014). Analisis teks narasi dan surat dalam Perjanjian Baru [Analysis of narrative texts and letters in the New Testament]. Leutikaprio,
Hendi. (2020). Renewing the nous: Watchfulness and praying. Dunamis: Jurnal Teologi dan Pendidikan Kristiani, 4(2), 275-295. https://doi.org/10.30648/dun.v4i2.291
Hoselton, R.P. (2023). “Search the Scriptures; Search your experiences”: Reading the Bible spiritually from the Reformation to Early Evangelicalism. In Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and the quest for evangelical enlightenment: Scripture and experimental religion. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44935-2_2
John the Ladder. (1982). The ladder of divine ascent (Translated by C. Luibheid & N. Russel). SPCK.
Karimies, I. (2016). Martin Luther’s early theological anthropology: From parts of the soul to the human person as one subject. In J. Kaukua & T. Ekenberg (Eds.), Subjectivity and selfhood in medieval and early modern philosophy. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26914-6_13
Krall, C. (2022). The human person fully alive: The transformation of the body, brain, mind, and soul of humanity in the encounter with the divinity [Doctoral thesis, Marquette University]. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/1202/
Laude, P. (2005). Divine play, sacred laughter, and spiritual understanding. Palgrave Macmillan New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403980588
Lewis, I. (2017). Social and cultural anthropology in perspective: Their relevance in the modern world. Routledge.
Louth, A. (2013). Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology. IVP Academic.
Lumingkewas, M. S., Putrawan, B. K., & Bulan, S. E. (2021). The Meaning of Jesus’ Identity and Mission in Mark 8:31-38: A Reflection for God’s People. Millah: Journal of Religious Studies, 21(1), 253–274. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol21.iss1.art9
Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos. (1994). Orthodox psychotherapy: The science of the Fathers (Translated by E. Williams). Birth of the Theotokos Monastery.
Morgan-Wynne, J. E. (1987). The Holy Spirit and religious experience in Christian literature C.90 - 200 AD [Doctoral thesis, Durham University]. https://etheses.dur.ac.uk/6616/
Nelas, P. (1987). Deification in Christ: Orthodox perspectives on the nature of the human person. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.
Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain. (1989). A handbook of spiritual counsel (Translated by P. A. Chamberas). Paulist Press.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1979). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 1 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1981). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 2 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1984). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 3 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1995). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 4 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Palamas, G. (1983). Triads (Edited by J. Meyendorff, translated by N. Gendle. Paulist Press.
Palamas, G. (1987). The one hundred and fifty chapters (Edited and translated by R. E. Sinkewicz). Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies.
Ramsey, W. (2009). Eliminative materialism. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (Eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Metaphysics Research Lab, Department of Philosophy, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/materialism-eliminative/
Staniloae, D. (2002). Orthodox spirituality: A practical guide for the faithful and a definitive manual for the scholar (Translated by A. Jerome (Newville) & O. Kloos. St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Press.
Steenberg, M. C. (2011). Humanity. In J. A. McGuckin (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Swanson, G. (1971). Frameworks for comparative research: Structural anthropology and the theory of action. In I. Vallier (Ed.), Comparative methods in sociology: Essays on trends and applications (pp. 141-202). University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520311480-007
Vall, G. (2022). Attaining God: The spiritual theology of Ignatius of Antioch. In D. W. Springer & K. M. Clarke (Eds.), Patristic spirituality: Classical perspectives on ascent in the journey to God (pp. 91-108). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004526983_007
van der Merwe, D. (2018). The characterisation of the Spiritual Christian: In conversation with God according to 1 Corinthians 2. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 74(3), a4968. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v74i3.4968
Vásquez, M. A. (2020). More than belief: A materialist theory of religion. Oxford University Press.
Waaijman, K. (2011). Spirituality as theology. Studies in Spirituality, 21, 1-43. https://hdl.handle.net/2066/114548
Ware, K. (1986). The Orthodox Way. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.
Ware, K. (2008). How to read the Bible. In The Orthodox study Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Ware, K. (2021). Chapter 3 “In the image and likeness”: The uniqueness of the human person. In C. Chalamet, K. Delikostantis, J. Getcha, & E. Parmentier (Eds.), Theological anthropology, 500 years after Martin Luther: Orthodox and protestant perspectives. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004461253_004
Wei, L.-Y. (2011). Doctrinalising dreams: Patristic views of the nature of dreams and their relation to early Christian doctrines [Doctoral thesis, University of Edinburg]. https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/5462
References
Bergmann, S., Rigby, K., & Scott, P. M. (2023). Introduction. In S. Bergmann, K. Rigby, & P. M. Scott (Eds.), Religion, materialism and ecology. Taylor & Francis.
Chandler, D. J. (2014). Christian spiritual formation: An integrated approach for personal and relational wholeness. InterVarsity Press.
Chrysostom, J. (2020). It is necessary then to lay it aside first. What then, some man will say; is the wisdom from without stigmatized? And yet it is the work of God. [Comments on the blog post “1 Corinthians 2:14.” https://catenabible.com/com/5750753c3c6effa740ddd817.
Cook, C. C. H. (2010). The Philokalia and mental wellbeing [Doctoral thesis, Durham University]. https://etheses.dur.ac.uk/175/
Downing, L. (2011). George Berkeley. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (Eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Metaphysics Research Lab, Department of Philosophy, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/berkeley/
Drijarkara, N. (1966). Pertjikan filsafat [Philosophical argument]. PT Pembangunan Djakarta.
Firth, R. (1959). Problem and assumption in an anthropological study of religion. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 89(2), 129-148. https://doi.org/10.2307/2844265
Green, J. B. (2008). Body, soul, and human life (studies in theological interpretation): The nature of humanity in the Bible. Baker Books.
Harrison, N. V. (2008). The human person as image and likeness of God. In M. B. Cunningham & E. Theokritoff (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Orthodox Christian Theology. Cambridge University Press.
Hayes, C. (2015). Deus in se et Deus pro nobis: The transfiguration in the theology of Gregory Palamas and its importance for Catholic theology [Doctoral thesis, Duquesne University]. https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/640
Hendi. (2014). Analisis teks narasi dan surat dalam Perjanjian Baru [Analysis of narrative texts and letters in the New Testament]. Leutikaprio,
Hendi. (2020). Renewing the nous: Watchfulness and praying. Dunamis: Jurnal Teologi dan Pendidikan Kristiani, 4(2), 275-295. https://doi.org/10.30648/dun.v4i2.291
Hoselton, R.P. (2023). “Search the Scriptures; Search your experiences”: Reading the Bible spiritually from the Reformation to Early Evangelicalism. In Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and the quest for evangelical enlightenment: Scripture and experimental religion. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44935-2_2
John the Ladder. (1982). The ladder of divine ascent (Translated by C. Luibheid & N. Russel). SPCK.
Karimies, I. (2016). Martin Luther’s early theological anthropology: From parts of the soul to the human person as one subject. In J. Kaukua & T. Ekenberg (Eds.), Subjectivity and selfhood in medieval and early modern philosophy. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26914-6_13
Krall, C. (2022). The human person fully alive: The transformation of the body, brain, mind, and soul of humanity in the encounter with the divinity [Doctoral thesis, Marquette University]. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/1202/
Laude, P. (2005). Divine play, sacred laughter, and spiritual understanding. Palgrave Macmillan New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403980588
Lewis, I. (2017). Social and cultural anthropology in perspective: Their relevance in the modern world. Routledge.
Louth, A. (2013). Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology. IVP Academic.
Lumingkewas, M. S., Putrawan, B. K., & Bulan, S. E. (2021). The Meaning of Jesus’ Identity and Mission in Mark 8:31-38: A Reflection for God’s People. Millah: Journal of Religious Studies, 21(1), 253–274. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol21.iss1.art9
Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos. (1994). Orthodox psychotherapy: The science of the Fathers (Translated by E. Williams). Birth of the Theotokos Monastery.
Morgan-Wynne, J. E. (1987). The Holy Spirit and religious experience in Christian literature C.90 - 200 AD [Doctoral thesis, Durham University]. https://etheses.dur.ac.uk/6616/
Nelas, P. (1987). Deification in Christ: Orthodox perspectives on the nature of the human person. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.
Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain. (1989). A handbook of spiritual counsel (Translated by P. A. Chamberas). Paulist Press.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1979). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 1 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1981). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 2 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1984). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 3 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain & Makarios of Corinth. (1995). The Philokalia: The complete text, Volume 4 (translated by G. E. H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, & K. Ware. Faber and Faber.
Palamas, G. (1983). Triads (Edited by J. Meyendorff, translated by N. Gendle. Paulist Press.
Palamas, G. (1987). The one hundred and fifty chapters (Edited and translated by R. E. Sinkewicz). Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies.
Ramsey, W. (2009). Eliminative materialism. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (Eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Metaphysics Research Lab, Department of Philosophy, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/materialism-eliminative/
Staniloae, D. (2002). Orthodox spirituality: A practical guide for the faithful and a definitive manual for the scholar (Translated by A. Jerome (Newville) & O. Kloos. St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Press.
Steenberg, M. C. (2011). Humanity. In J. A. McGuckin (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Swanson, G. (1971). Frameworks for comparative research: Structural anthropology and the theory of action. In I. Vallier (Ed.), Comparative methods in sociology: Essays on trends and applications (pp. 141-202). University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520311480-007
Vall, G. (2022). Attaining God: The spiritual theology of Ignatius of Antioch. In D. W. Springer & K. M. Clarke (Eds.), Patristic spirituality: Classical perspectives on ascent in the journey to God (pp. 91-108). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004526983_007
van der Merwe, D. (2018). The characterisation of the Spiritual Christian: In conversation with God according to 1 Corinthians 2. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 74(3), a4968. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v74i3.4968
Vásquez, M. A. (2020). More than belief: A materialist theory of religion. Oxford University Press.
Waaijman, K. (2011). Spirituality as theology. Studies in Spirituality, 21, 1-43. https://hdl.handle.net/2066/114548
Ware, K. (1986). The Orthodox Way. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.
Ware, K. (2008). How to read the Bible. In The Orthodox study Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Ware, K. (2021). Chapter 3 “In the image and likeness”: The uniqueness of the human person. In C. Chalamet, K. Delikostantis, J. Getcha, & E. Parmentier (Eds.), Theological anthropology, 500 years after Martin Luther: Orthodox and protestant perspectives. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004461253_004
Wei, L.-Y. (2011). Doctrinalising dreams: Patristic views of the nature of dreams and their relation to early Christian doctrines [Doctoral thesis, University of Edinburg]. https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/5462
