Embodied Spirit & Inspirited Body: The Implications of a Christian Theology of Embodiment for Health Care Practices
Joshua Snyder, PhD Candidate, Boston College
In addressing this year’s theme of “Responding to the Limits and Possibilities of the Body” this paper will examine how a Christian vision of human embodiment impacts health care practices. Specifically, I will argue that the human being is most appropriately understood as simultaneously embodied spirit as well as an inspirited body. This implies that health care practices need to respond to the twofold nature of the human person. In addition to curative therapies aimed at restoring the health of the body, health care practices must also respond to the needs of the embodied spirit. As such, this paper will highlight the importance in recovering the Christian tradition of the “cure of souls.”
First the paper will respond to the question of how one’s body is related to oneself. I will present a Thomistic approach to understanding human embodiment. According to Aquinas, the human is a single material substance. In his classic statement he maintained that the “soul is the form of the body,” which makes the human being a composite of the two. When embodied, a human person is an “individual substance in the category rational animal.” The body should be understood as belonging to the essence of a human being. Likewise, the soul is defined as “the first principle of life.” It is not corporeal, or a body; it is the act of a body. The soul is the life giving force and animating principle of the human body. According to Aquinas, the soul is perfected in the body because part of our nature is spiritual. The human being is one existing, single material substance which comes from body and soul. The soul is what actualizes material potency into an existing human being. Consequently, the fact that a human body is composed of living human tissue entails that a human soul is wholly present in each part of the human.
Once it is has been demonstrated that the human is best understood as a composite-simultaneously embodied spirit and inspirited body- we will draw out the implications of this for modern health care practices. As an inspirited body, those suffering from chronic illness are vulnerable to the physiological limits of the human body. Curative medicinal therapies are essential in restoring a sense of health to the human body. At the same time, curative measures must be sympathetic to the limitations imposed by the declining body. As an embodied spirit, those suffering from chronic illness are vulnerable to existential despair, psychological depression, and spiritual apathy. At the boundaries of medicine lies a need for further “therapies” to respond to these needs. This section will argue that by recovering the ancient Christian tradition of “cure for souls,” health care practices need to develop complimentary approaches for dealing with the spiritual nature of the human body.
In addressing this year’s theme of “Responding to the Limits and Possibilities of the Body” this paper will examine how a Christian vision of human embodiment impacts health care practices. Specifically, I will argue that the human being is most appropriately understood as simultaneously embodied spirit as well as an inspirited body. This implies that health care practices need to respond to the twofold nature of the human person. In addition to curative therapies aimed at restoring the health of the body, health care practices must also respond to the needs of the embodied spirit. As such, this paper will highlight the importance in recovering the Christian tradition of the “cure of souls.”
First the paper will respond to the question of how one’s body is related to oneself. I will present a Thomistic approach to understanding human embodiment. According to Aquinas, the human is a single material substance. In his classic statement he maintained that the “soul is the form of the body,” which makes the human being a composite of the two. When embodied, a human person is an “individual substance in the category rational animal.” The body should be understood as belonging to the essence of a human being. Likewise, the soul is defined as “the first principle of life.” It is not corporeal, or a body; it is the act of a body. The soul is the life giving force and animating principle of the human body. According to Aquinas, the soul is perfected in the body because part of our nature is spiritual. The human being is one existing, single material substance which comes from body and soul. The soul is what actualizes material potency into an existing human being. Consequently, the fact that a human body is composed of living human tissue entails that a human soul is wholly present in each part of the human.
Once it is has been demonstrated that the human is best understood as a composite-simultaneously embodied spirit and inspirited body- we will draw out the implications of this for modern health care practices. As an inspirited body, those suffering from chronic illness are vulnerable to the physiological limits of the human body. Curative medicinal therapies are essential in restoring a sense of health to the human body. At the same time, curative measures must be sympathetic to the limitations imposed by the declining body. As an embodied spirit, those suffering from chronic illness are vulnerable to existential despair, psychological depression, and spiritual apathy. At the boundaries of medicine lies a need for further “therapies” to respond to these needs. This section will argue that by recovering the ancient Christian tradition of “cure for souls,” health care practices need to develop complimentary approaches for dealing with the spiritual nature of the human body.