How to see the difference between soul and spirit as a catholic?

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MarcoPG

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Hello,

It may seem difficult, and a lot of questions in one, but it is to show my reasoning.

Since we say we have a soul (anima), what about the spirit? Since man is body and soul (and spirit), how do you tell the difference between soul and spirit?

Weren’t we given the soul by the Holy Spirit? Could they be same thing (anima and pneuma)?

Here is why i ask: we have different things that we know: anima is the soul, in a way the life of every creature (“animation”) that we share with animals (philosophically) and also what differenciate us from them (pneuma, divine principle). Still, that pneuma/spirit gives us a soul (which animals do not have in that sense), and pure spirits do not have a soul (?).
 
To me it’s just a question of semantics. We have a body, mind and spirit or soul. I don’t see any difference. It’s just that somehow the legacy of the body and mind’s actions and thoughts are somehow imprinted into the spirit during a person’s lifetime.

I’ve said before ad nauseum that the night my own father died, he appeared in my room.

He “materialised” near the bedroom door, and moved towards the foot of the bed. To cut a long story short, we argued and talked and at the end he gave this almighty scream and disappeared.

In appearance he was somewhat ghostly for lack of a better word. It was definitely and clearly him, even to the tone of his voice, despite lacking any vocal chords, since he was dead.

It was quite obvious he could think, and his “soul” assuming that’s what I was seeing had a shape like that of his body. Whether that was just done for my benefit I don’t know.

But I only saw what appeared to be ONE “substance”, not two.

I don’t think there’s any distinction between soul and spirit in human beings. As far as I’m concerned attempts to differentiate them is merely a question of semantics, or more accurately, etymology.

I don’t think there is any difference between soul and spirit in the human being. To me they’re just two words for the same thing.

After all the Bible states God breathed life or spirit into the man, who was formed out of clay so to speak. The picture I have is of a dead newly formed body on the ground being given life (spirit). I don’t see a description saying God breathed into him twice, once for soul and once for spirit.
 
Oh right so the mind would be the anima as the consciousness of biologists, philosophers and so on understand it; the spirit would be what we call soul and anima in the religious sense.
 
I read in a booklet on Catholic theology that the soul is the animating principle of the body, or life force, while the spirit is a personal being, and humans are the only species where the spirit and soul are the same thing. Don’t remember which booklet it was though…
 
MarcoPG said:
Hello,

It may seem difficult, and a lot of questions in one, but it is to show my reasoning.

Since we say we have a soul (anima), what about the spirit? Since man is body and soul (and spirit), how do you tell the difference between soul and spirit?

Weren’t we given the soul by the Holy Spirit? Could they be same thing (anima and pneuma)?

Here is why i ask: we have different things that we know: anima is the soul, in a way the life of every creature (“animation”) that we share with animals (philosophically) and also what differenciate us from them (pneuma, divine principle). Still, that pneuma/spirit gives us a soul (which animals do not have in that sense), and pure spirits do not have a soul (?).
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This has been discussed a few times on Catholic Answers Live lately.

Click this link, then click on “Radio Shows”: catholic.com/search/content/Spirit%2520vs%2520soul?filters=type%253Aradio_show

Here is what the Catechism says: vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p6.htm

EWTN: ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage_print.asp?number=334949&language=en

There are two kinds of souls: the spiritual soul (which humans have) and the non-spiritual soul which plants and animals have. Spiritual souls are immortal, while non-spiritual souls are not immortal.

Good luck and God bless
 
Souls are associated with specific individuals. You have a soul that is different than my soul. We both have the same spirit. Therefore the soul is the form the spirit takes in each human body, while spirit is the substance of the soul and is the same in every body. The form of the soul is defined not by its shape; the form of the soul is its ability to respond to grace. We increase the efficiency and improve the form of the soul by rejecting sin and doing good.The spirit is manifested as consciousness, the soul is manifested as personality.
Yppop
 
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