Bodies And Souls Or Spirited Bodies

Are humans composed of a body and a nonmaterial mind or soul, or are we purely physical beings? Opinion is sharply divided over this issue. In this clear and concise book, Nancey Murphy argues for a physicalist account, but one that does not diminish traditional views of humans as rational, moral, and capable of relating to God. This position is motivated not only by developments in science and philosophy, but also by biblical studies and Christian theology. The reader is invited to appreciate the ways in which organisms are more than the sum of their parts. That higher human capacities such as morality, free will, and religious awareness emerge from our neurobiological complexity and develop through our relation to others, to our cultural inheritance, and, most importantly, to God. Murphy addresses the questions of human uniqueness, religious experience, and personal identity before and after bodily resurrection.

Does science argue against the existence of the human soul? Many scientists and scholars believe the whole is more than the sum of the parts. This book uses information and systems theory to describe the more that does not reduce to the parts. One sees this in the synapses - or apparently empty gaps between the neurons in one's brain-where informative relationships give rise to human mind, culture, and spirituality. Drawing upon the disciplines of cognitive science, computer science, neuroscience, general systems theory, pragmatic philosophy, and Christian theology, Mark Graves reinterprets the traditional doctrine of the soul as form of the body to frame contemporary scientific study of the human soul.

John Hammett’s and Katie McCoy’s Humanity is built on four assumptions: that humans are creatures, that they can only be understood in light of the intentions of their Creator, that the Creator’s intentions are revealed in the pages of Scripture, and that humans enjoy a truly and fully human life only when they live in accordance with their created nature. Thus, this work seeks to offer a biblical perspective on human nature as designed by God.

Theology of the Soul engages with a thoroughly theological and philosophical subject in fresh and profound ways: the soul. The author examines the possibility of a concept of the soul in modern, Western theology. In the second part of the 20th century speaking about the soul was strongly criticized in Theology and Philosophy. Consequently, many academic theologians consider the word “soul” problematic. Remarkably, the word “soul” is very much present in contemporary culture. This book takes cultural notions of the soul as employed by, for example, Marilynne Robinson and Oprah Winfrey, as a point of departure. The author then investigates the functions of the soul in classical theologies and provides elucidating overviews of the ways in which the soul is discussed and problematized in contemporary Philosophy and Biblical Studies. After introducing the apostle Paul as conversation partner, she reconsiders various contemporary concepts from a Pauline perspective, and offers a constructive systematic theological proposal to speak of the soul in today’s modern theological and cultural contexts. This interdisciplinary study integrates continental and analytic methods and discussions on the soul in Philosophy and Theology, providing a very comprehensive study of the soul.

In The Holy Spirit as Space for the Living, George Evans recognizes the significance of the Spirit in pneumatology within the New Testament, emphasizing the Spirit’s indwelling presence as a person. However, Evans notes that the functional aspect of the Spirit as the presence of God is often overlooked. The Spirit not only gives life (ruah) but also creates space for individuals to live and thrive. This spatial understanding suggests that the Spirit constructs a unique space for born-again believers to inhabit, leading to self-awareness and a transformed lifeworld. Evans adopts a spatial hermeneutic, drawing inspiration from Jesus’s encounter with Nicodemus, to explore different spatial productions and their connection to the experience of being reborn within the space of the Spirit. Through this approach, he develops a concept of Christian spatiality that expands our theological understanding and highlights space as a construct shaped by the Spirit. By considering the role of the Spirit in creating and shaping our lived experience, Evans unveils a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the Spirit and its impact on our spiritual journey.

Social scientists and philosophers confronted with religious phenomena have always been challenged to find a proper way to describe the spiritual experiences of the social group they were studying. The influence of the Cartesian dualism of body and mind (or soul) led to a distinction between non-material, spiritual experiences (i.e., related to the soul) and physical, mechanical experiences (i.e., related to the body). However, recent developments in medical science on the one hand and challenges to universalist conceptions of belief and spirituality on the other have resulted in “body” and “soul” losing the reassuring solid contours they had in the past. Yet, in “Western culture,” the body–soul duality is alive, not least in academic and media discourses. This volume pursues the ongoing debates and discusses the importance of the body and how it is perceived in contemporary religious faith: what happens when “body” and “soul” are un-separated entities? Is it possible, even for anthropologists and ethnographers, to escape from “natural dualism”? The contributors here present research in novel empirical contexts, the benefits and limits of the old dichotomy are discussed, and new theoretical strategies proposed.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus consistently demonstrated his concern and love for the whole person: soul, mind, and body. That task is carried forward today by pastors and church leaders, who are called to care for people in the midst of individual circumstances as well as seismic cultural shifts. How might that calling be informed by recent developments in psychology? How should the church attend to matters of mental health? How might psychology and counseling aid us in our spiritual formation? Based on the 2018 Center for Pastor Theologians conference, this volume brings together reflections by pastors, theologians, and psychologists who explore the relationships among three fields of study—theological anthropology, spiritual formation, and modern psychology. The result is a vibrant whole-person theology that can aid the church today in its centuries-old call to care for the soul, mind, and body. Based on annual CPT conferences, the volumes in the Center for Pastor Theologians series bring together the reflections of pastors and theologians who desire to make ongoing contributions to the wider scholarly community for the renewal of both theology and the church.