What are the possible points of agreement and points of tension between different religious schools of thought on the body, in relation to the Holy Spirit? How might Christians respond to these?
Scripture seems to contradict itself with regard to the human body. Sometimes
What are the possible points of agreement and points of tension between different religious schools of thought on the body, in relation to the Holy Spirit? How might Christians respond to these?
Scripture seems to contradict itself with regard to the human body. Sometimes the body is seen as precious, for instance in 1 Cor 6:19-30, and sometimes as a hinderance to unity with Christ, 2 Cor 5:6-8. This seeming ambiguity within scripture has created distinct and conflicting schools of thought among Christian thinkers regarding the body and spirituality. Some advocate that the body is an essential part of our spirituality and should be embraced; others that the body is a hinderance to it, and should be approached with suspicion and contempt.
The subject of the body and spirituality is vast. Therefore, this essay will focus on two differing schools of thought pertaining to the body: Dualism and Holism. After defining each and giving examples from history, the tensions and agreements between the two theories will be discussed. Finally, I will suggest how Christians might respond in a balanced way.
Dualism: The division of a thing into two contrasting or opposed elements. In terms of body Dualism, the separation of the human being into two opposing parts - body and spirit.
The Greek philosopher Plato viewed the body as something which contaminated the soul with it’s imperfection. It was a hinderance to attaining truth and should be avoided except where absolutely necessary. The pursuit was to become purified from it ‘until God himself gives us deliverance’.1
Early Christian writers, such as Philo of Alexandria, were influenced by Plato’s school of thought and, in his attempt to marry Greek and Jewish philosophy, developed a dualistic interpretation of body-related scripture, advocating that purification occurs in mind, leaving man with no need for the body.2