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Paul’Spirituality in the Creative Union of the Mystic and the Ascetic : The Basis of Spiritual Theology for the Anthropology of Christian Counseling

  • Journal of Counseling and Gospel
  • Abbr : Jocag
  • 2008, 11(), pp.237-266
  • DOI : 10.17841/jocag.2008.11..237
  • Publisher : Korean Evangelical Counseling Society
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology > Pastoral Counseling
  • Received : September 30, 2008
  • Accepted : November 12, 2008

Cho, Myung-Ki 1

1백석대

ABSTRACT

This paper is going to offer the riches of christian counselling anthropology through the Paul’s spiritual anthropology. Paul’s spirituality consists of two aspects, the mystic and the ascetic. The one is being, the other is doing. Paul’s spirituality can be read by the mystic side and the ascetic side of Spirituality. The most foundation of the modern christian counselling anthropology is composed of human-centrism, not God-centrism. In spite of they need Godcentrism, They don’t recognize it and are not willing to receive God-centrism. Paul’s spirituality is different from Gnostic’s dualistic understanding and Hellenism. Paul has a biblical spirituality, the intergrated spirituality. In this situation, Paul’s life, suffering, theology, spirituality, ascetic, emptiness, fullness are important to supplement christian counselling anthropology. Paul’s spirituality has many concepts of the anthropology, soma, pneuma, psyche, kardia, nous, sarx, etc. Soma is the term, body which Paul uses to characterize man’s existence. As an existing body, soma can become either good or bad in its relationship with God. The good is pneuma that live according to the spirit, and the bad is sarx that live according to the flesh. Thus, soma needs to be developed by pneuma. Psyche(soul) is the self regarded as conscious or aware or a willing and knowing self, which is similar to nous(mind) or the inner person referred to in Romans 7. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:23, a person(as a holistic being) is consisted of soma, psyche, and pneuma. This existence is called zoe, a life that is characterized by intention and goal, living either according to the spirit or according to the flesh. kardia or nous is a Heart, the term refers to a ‘willing, planning, intending self ’. Kardia emphasizes less the knowledge part but more the feeling and striving part as well as the more the inner life. Like soma and mind, this will, depending on the person’s desire and intent, can become either good or bad. Sarx is the term flesh, can denote not only the concrete body of flesh but also fleshliness, carnality, meaning the nature of the earthly human in its specific humanness. Sarx is often depicted as opposed to the spirit, the invisible, and the inner aspect of a person. Through these terms, Paul’s spirituality has three characters, , , and . means ‘an ascetic’, is a work, that empty out self from the earthly thing, fill self with God. is a fasting, that live in a positive suffering interpreted by the Cross. These three elements build up Paul’s Spiritual Man. The modern christian counselling has the characters of a optimistic anthropology, but Paul’s spirituality offers new anthroplogy, the sinned anthropology that need the concern and the love of God. Human is based on the enclosure of God, the father almighty. The most counselling is reinterpreted with the sinned anthropology and rebuild up all human being In God, in front of God, with God, to face God.

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