Person?

[Jim_Baur]

What is the person?

According to the Holy Bible, what is the person?

According to the Church’s explanation of the Bible’s view of person, what is person?

Thanks!

 

[thistle]

What is the person?

According to the Holy Bible, what is the person?

According to the Church’s explanation of the Bible’s view of person, what is person?

Thanks!

It would be easier to discuss if you can refer us to a verse in the Bible so we can read in context. You say “the person” and not “a person” or just “person”.

From the Modern Catholic Dictionary:

PERSON. “An individual substance of a rational nature” (Boethius). Therefore every individual intellectual substance which is complete in itself, uncommunicable and existing for itself, is a person. Essential to person in theological terms are intelligence and substantiality, wholeness in oneself and especially individuality. From individuality flow such features of personhood as distinctiveness, incommunicability, and uniqueness. Among human persons there are also the elements of responsibility and possession of distinctive rights. (Etym. Latin persona, actor’s mask; character; supposition of a rational nature.)

PERSON, ECCLESIASTICAL. In Church law a human being who has been validly baptized and who thereby acquires all the rights and duties of a Christian, except where, as regards rights, there is some impediment affecting one’s communion with the Church or some censure imposed by the Church.

PERSON, MORAL. In ecclesiastical law, a group of at least three physical persons united together by their free will to form a society recognized as such by competent Church authority.

 

[Jim_Baur]

thistle

You are a great help!

If you have the time and energy, how is our consciousness related to person?

Thanks!:egyptian:

 

[frteatao]

Shalom

The Bible ---------- image of God.

The Church ----------- image of God.

Therefore everything that makes up the person is willed by God.

 

[Jim_Baur]

Thanks!

 

[Evan]

From the Modern Catholic Dictionary:

PERSON. “An individual substance of a rational nature” (Boethius). Therefore every individual intellectual substance which is complete in itself, uncommunicable and existing for itself, is a person. Essential to person in theological terms are intelligence and substantiality, wholeness in oneself and especially individuality. From individuality flow such features of personhood as distinctiveness, incommunicability, and uniqueness. Among human persons there are also the elements of responsibility and possession of distinctive rights. (Etym. Latin persona, actor’s mask; character; supposition of a rational nature.).

This definition works best for my use of person.

Recognize God is 3 persons
Angels, with rational natures, are persons (as are the fallen angels)
Humans (Even the just conceived and handicapped) have a rational NATURE and are persons.

 

[Jim_Baur]

Thanks

I am trying to discern whether consciousness is more primary than the intellect.

I seems to me that when I sit down and pray, think, or relax it then that I become aware that there is a difference between my consciousness and all of the rest.

I can turn my consciousness to the sense appetite (passions).

I can turn my intellect to philosophy, theology, math, biology and the like.

I can turn my will make a decision.

I can turn my memory to 1993, June 12.

My consciousness seems to be primary; intellect, will, passions, imagination, and memory are ruled by my consciousness.

That seems to be my actual existence.

Does this ring true in others?

 

[Evan]

Thanks

I am trying to discern whether consciousness is more primary than the intellect.

I seems to me that when I sit down and pray, think, or relax it then that I become aware that there is a difference between my consciousness and all of the rest.

I can turn my consciousness to the sense appetite (passions).

I can turn my intellect to philosophy, theology, math, biology and the like.

I can turn my will make a decision.

I can turn my memory to 1993, June 12.

My consciousness seems to be primary; intellect, will, passions, imagination, and memory are ruled by my consciousness.

That seems to be my actual existence.

Does this ring true in others?

So when you sleep, you loose your personhood? I am aware of having slept when I am in normal sleep. Somehow I am aware of approximately how long I have slept. So is the ‘internal clock’ enough awareness that I was still a person?

However, when I was put under for an operation, NO TIME PASSED as far as my ‘self’ know. I was being put under and instantly I was awake. Was I then no longer a person.?

Is someone in a coma, or an unborn child, NOT a person? Even though they have a rational nature, a soul, an intellect, memory, will (attributes of a soul), but may not be conscious?

 

[TimothyH]

The idea of what a person is was treated at length by Blessed Pope John Paul II in his catechesis commonly called “Theology of the Body”.

The texts of all 129 general audiences that make up TOB are at ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2tbind.htm

The first five or six audiences are worth reading relative to the original question.

-tim-