Christian Anthropology In a Complex World

1. “WALKING TOGETHER” ON WHAT FOUNDATIONS? (Always kept In Balance)

• BIBLE – The WORD of GOD
• TRADITION – The WORDS of GOD (summaries in Catechism of Church)
• PHILOSOPHY – Uncommon Common Sense
• DESCRIPTIVE SCIENCES – Recent Psychological/Sociological Disciplines.

In Australia – stress on Descriptive Sciences and Subjective Philosophies (Lacks Balance)

2. HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE HUMAN PERSON? – “WALKING TOGETHER” ON 3 LEVELS

• RELATIONAL: 3 PRIMALS
• With GOD
• With OTHERS
• With “ALL THINGS”
• WITH GOD – Body & Soul (Greek & Roman Philosophy)
• WITH OTHERS – The Dignity of the Human Person (Rational/Free Will)
• WITH “ALL THINGS” – Animal/Plant World/Cosmos (In what way “Relational”???)

3. THE CHRIST-EVENT – JESUS (FULLY HUMAN, FULLY GOD). EMMAUS “WALKING TOGETHER”.

• CHRISTIANITY – An ENCOUNTER Religion (Conversion)

Difference between a Religious Faith and a Christian Faith

• DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON GIVEN EVEN GREATER EMPHASIS IN THE DEATH/RESURRECTION OF JESUS (Divinity)
• CHRISTIANITY – Missionary/Evangelisation Religion (An outward Religion in an inward world)

4. EVANGELISATION IN A SYNODAL/MARIAN WAY.

• NEVER AN IMPOSITION/PROSELYTISER (Ideology)
• ALWAYS A PROPOSER:

NON-VERBAL – (Architecture, Music, Beauty, Poetry, Art…)

WITNESSES/TESTIMONY OF LIFESTYLE NOT SIMPLY TEACHERS

SERVICE TO THE “PERIPHERIES”/POOR AS A THEOLOGICAL COMMUNITY – (In Australia, especially Education, Social   Services, Health.)

SOMETIMES VERBAL      -“Purifier” of ideas/ideologies/Truth of Humanity

– Preaching Jesus to the world/locally

– Testimony