Man as a Personal Being in the Light of Biblical Anthropology

Authors

  • Stanisław Ormanty Poznań

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21906/rbl.479

Abstract

This article presents a general outline of biblical anthropology that constitutes the contents foundation of philosophical anthropology. Within the scope of the biblical view of man two basic dimensions of man play the decisive role: the personal and the social dimension. The personal being and the social being remain in close relationship with each other.

Being a person on the human level is characterized by direction towards community and development within community. Furthermore, a specifically human community takes shape through respect for and support of human personality. A human person is a relation; only through the relation man becomes a person in its entireness. In other words, a human being exists within communication, realizes himself by means of communication.

The notion of person can be described by distinguishing and emphasizing its various facets: a person is an individual founded in the spiritual nature, possessing a quality of irreplaceable or non-interchangeable autonomy. A person is shaped by spirit and constitutes an unrepeatable and self-governed unity and wholeness.

This article presents man as wholeness to which belong three basic human manifestations: that of the body, the soul and the spirit, as it is presented in the Judaistic biblical exegesis of Creation (Gen. 2: 7). Within the spiritual aspect of man focus was placed on the notions of reason and freedom as well as language and culture.

This article presents a general outline of biblical anthropology that constitutes the contents foundation of philosophical anthropology. Within the scope of the biblical view of man two basic dimensions of man play the decisive role: the personal and the social dimension. The personal being and the social being remain in close relationship with each other.

Being a person on the human level is characterized by direction towards community and development within community. Furthermore, a specifically human community takes shape through respect for and support of human personality. A human person is a relation; only through the relation man becomes a person in its entireness. In other words, a human being exists within communication, realizes himself by means of communication.

The notion of person can be described by distinguishing and emphasizing its various facets: a person is an individual founded in the spiritual nature, possessing a quality of irreplaceable or non-interchangeable autonomy. A person is shaped by spirit and constitutes an unrepeatable and self-governed unity and wholeness.

This article presents man as wholeness to which belong three basic human manifestations: that of the body, the soul and the spirit, as it is presented in the Judaistic biblical exegesis of Creation (Gen. 2: 7). Within the spiritual aspect of man focus was placed on the notions of reason and freedom as well as language and culture.

Published

2004-03-31

How to Cite

Ormanty, S. (2004). Man as a Personal Being in the Light of Biblical Anthropology. The Biblical and Liturgical Movement, 57(1), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.21906/rbl.479

Issue

Vol. 57 No. 1 (2004)

Section

Reflections, comments

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