Calvin Synod Herald, 2013 (114. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)
2013-05-01 / 5-6. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 7 Theological Anthropology and the definition of old age Psychology studies require a special observation when we want to know more about the human beings. The object of this examination is the human with its attitude and behavior. The human is centre of humanistic psychology, it roots from human and feedbacks to human. The theology has got another aspect. This science is able to observe the created world from the eye of God. The presence of God is an axiom, so if we try to define the human beings we can not avoid the view of God. We believe that the Bible is the word of God, so in the Holy Scripture we can find what God’s will is. In the theological anthropology, human was created by the will of God. This is very important, because this will as a supreme force can determine the human nature. We can read these verses in the book of Genesis 1:26-28: Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth”. So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”. God wanted to create the human „in our image”. It means the created human was able to fit into the Heaven and this human (without sin) was similar to the other creatures. By the way, God created the human into the World. „According to our likeness” also directs to God. Both two words (image and likeness; imago and similitudo) are in connection with each other and rooted from the energy of Heaven, the state which was filled out by God. (See Psalm 39:6, where “image” refers to the substantial nature of human life, and Psalm 73:20, where it refers to a dream image retained on waking. “Likeness” is also not necessarily physical, see Isaiah 13:4 where it is used to describe a sound. For both these words, however, their primary meaning is a physical similarity). Ireneus was the first, who pointed out, that these characteristics were lost after the fall. He makes a difference between the two words, in his opinion the image refers to the human nature which can not be lost and the likeness refers to the original relationship with God which was lost. Anyway, the first sin changed the human nature, because the first couple was aware of the,, bad” and its result the changed consciousness. The non-biblical parallels show that there was a very strong tradition in the ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia; the image of a god was the deputy of god. In the ancient Mesopotamian tradition the king, as the image of god, had got right to act as a supreme lord among his people. In the verses of Genesis, God created every human into his image and likeness. God did not make a difference between the characteristics of human and individuals but he made a difference between the gender of human. The gender gap is already in Genesis as God’s will. We can not separate the physical and spiritual resemblance from each other and either from God. But we must separate the humanity (and human civilization) from the animals and plants. (Darwinism had got a strong influence on theological anthropology). In Carl Barth’s interpretation the image of God (imago Dei) is not a quality attribute (but it might be a quantity attribute?) but it consists the man as the creature of God. The imago Dei does separate us from the society of animals and plants. God speaks only to humans and only the human can speak to God by words, thoughts and acts. The image of God consists in being placed to rule, or have dominion over the rest of the created order. The nature of humanity proclaimed here fundamentally based on humanity as part of creation, having dominion as God has dominion over creation. This brings care of the created world to the fore as a part of the nature of humanity. Humans are responsible to bring about the flourishing of life. The „You” and „I” relationship between God and human is very important, because in this dialogue human is more than the other creatures but without the „Imago Dei”, human is less than others, he does lose his function. Human is the member of society. Human beings and attitudes, belief and religious life are in connection with the traditions, generations. Job is also in the order of creation. Life includes: happiness, love, pain, sorrow and its expresses; exultation, suffusion, palpitation, feeling pains. The emotional, intellectual and volitional center is the heart and kidney. The presence of God gives a meaning for taking the pains. Sin is all, that is not God’s will but the suffer and anguish can be the test of faith in the eye of God (Book of Job). Human body (in the ancient Greek: ampa soma) is a physical aspect of a human being. According to the New Testament, the human is a body. In which, there is a „nepes” (from old Hebrew) with the meaning of „breath” or „breathing being”). It does not mean an immortal soul! In the Septuagint nepes is mostly translated as psyche (vpuxH) and, exceptionally, in the Book of Joshua as empneon (evp;r80v), that is „breathing being”. In the theological anthropology there is another issue. Jews and Christians are chosen people. People in God are chosen for the world pilgrimage and for the eternal life. The Spirit of God (ruah) is a special strength to fulfill the requirements of mission. The suffering and service belong to each other (Jeremiah-„Ebed JAHVE). Selected people often suffer. The elected people, the Jews, also suffered; suffered from sins, from unjust, suffered because these people come near to the Lord with their mouth and honor Him with their lips but their hearts are far from the Lord. (Ish. 29:13). In the end of the wandering, they suffered because they did not want to suffer. By the way, ascetics is far away from the teaching of Bible. Jesus was not an ascetic. Holy Spirit can give special talents and skills to make efforts successfully to reach to goal; being in the Heaven, getting back to the original state. The definition of old-age Being old is a secret. As in the humanistic psychology, human is in the centre of attention. Old people can spend a lot time to observe themselves and they are able to make new and old con-CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
