![]() For although rua ḥ is sometimes used to signify "wind" or "breath" (e.g., in Job 15:30), it is not accurately described as ambiguous in meaning since in Hebrew it refers simply to the principle of vital activity, however manifested. Rua ḥ, which the New Testament writers translate as pneuma and which is traditionally rendered "spirit" in English, does not have the quasi-physical connotation that nefesh has. For example, when one thinks of the ideas of wind, breath, or spirit, one would probably attach any of them to pneuma rather than to psuch ē nevertheless, one should bear in mind that the word psuch ē has an etymological connection with the verb psuchein ("to breathe"), as does the Latin animus with anemos, the Greek word meaning "wind." So some study of the concept of spirit is not only relevant to but necessary for any study of the Christian concept of the soul. The one set of ideas, however, cannot be entirely dissociated from the other. The English words soul and spirit are attempts to represent the two sets of ideas found in the Bible: Soul is continuous with the Hebrew nefesh and the Greek psuch ē, while spirit is continuous with the Hebrew rua ḥ and the Greek pneuma. ![]() Ezekiel warns his bearers against women who sew frilly sleeves around their wrists, "the better to ensnare lives." This passage reflects both the old material concept of the nefesh and the ancient fear of witches, who made a profitable business out of nocturnal exploits in which they stole the nefashot of unwary sleepers, catching their souls like moths in handkerchiefs and then selling them to families with a member who, as one might say today, had "lost his mind." The Arabs entertained similar views about the vulnerability of the nafs to such evil agencies. In Ezekiel (13:17ff.) there is an echo of the primitivistic belief that the nefesh can slip out of the nostrils or another orifice during sleep (hence the old superstition against sleeping with one's mouth open) or, in the case of violent death, at the point of the assassin's sword. Psuch ē, however, always refers to that dimension of humanity that is of eternal value and therefore contrasted with the human carnal embodiment. The dualistic distinction implied in this usage echoes one that is familiar to readers of gnostic literature. Furthermore, in its adjectival form, psuchikos, it can be used to designate the natural, biological life of humans, as distinguished from the spiritual life, which is called pneumatikos ( 1 Cor. Yet the term carries also other connotations, as shall be seen later. In the New Testament then, the psuch ē, although fundamentally rooted in a Hebrew concept, encompasses so much of what is today understood as the "self" that it confronts one with many of the very complex problems to be found in modern discussions of selfhood. Such is the paradox of self-giving, a concept that finds expression also in Hindu and Buddhist thought. On the contrary, Jesus urges his disciples to let go of it, abandoning it to God's care ( Mt. Yet since the psuch ē is spiritual, not material, it is not to be guarded as one guards an earthly mansion, nor to be placed like a precious heirloom in a safe deposit box, nor tended as one tends a delicate plant. Such is the "soul" or "self" that is under the care of Christ. 1:22, 4:19), and in this dedication it can be anchored in God and be aware of possessing eternal life, assured of salvation from all that could alienate it from that inheritance ( Heb. When the psuch ē is fully dedicated to God it acquires a special character ( 1 Pt. So valuable is the psuch ē that not even the whole of the material universe could compensate for its loss ( Mt. The New Testament word psuch ē, however, has complex overtones associated with the concept of life, sometimes also signifying what today would be called the self and often assuming a special connotation as the seat of the supernatural or eternal life, the life that cannot be destroyed by the malice of humans as can the body, yet can be destroyed by God ( Mt. As such it can be contrasted with rua ḥ, an onomatopoeic word that mimics the sound of breathing and is used to designate the spirit or principle of life that in such thought is seen in the breath, which stands in contrast to the flesh. The New Testament word psuch ē is rooted in the Hebrew nefesh, and in English both are generally translated "soul." In primitive Semitic thought nefesh (Arabic, nafs ) is a fine, diminutive replica of the body. Moreover, Christian thought about its destiny is by no means uniform, nor is it always even clear. ![]() The concept of the soul in Christian literature and tradition has a complex history.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |