> Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996
#960109.01
> From: Danny Lim <engp5096@leonis.nus.sg>
> To: "Fr. Mateo" <Mollerus@CIN.ORG>
> Subject: Body, Soul & Spirit?
>
> Dear Fr.,
>
> I have often heard the terms body, soul and spirit used among my
> protestant friends. What does our Church teach about these?
> Does the Catholic church draw a distinction between soul and
> spirit?
> Thanks.
> Danny Lim
Dear Danny,
Researching `soul' and `spirit' in theological sources is a
sobering experience. Even the shortest dictionary or
encyclopedia articles tend to be of overwhelming length. For
convenience (yours and mine), I record here only part of what
the New Catholic Encyclopedia says about "soul" and "spirit"
as these words occur in the New Testament.
Soul (Hebrew: nepes, Greek: psyche) in the NT can mean principle
of life, life itself, or the living being. But unlike OT nepes,
it is opposed to body and considered immortal. It is the
concrete life of the individual, the "I" which thinks, feels,
wills, etc.
Spirit (Hebrew: ruah, Greek: pneuma) is the principle of life
(Matt 27:50), which exists after death (Luke 8:55) and goes to
the underworld (1st Pet. 3:19) or to the heavenly Jerusalem
(Heb. 12:23). It is the seat of man's feelings (Mark 2:8; 2nd
Cor. 2:13) and mental attitudes.
Soul and spirit are often used interchangeably, although 1st
Thes 5:23 may mean that spirit is of a higher order than soul
and more docile to God. (Councils Lateran IV and Vatican I
imply the interchangeable use of the two words.
Perhaps (I'm guessing here) one could use "soul" as the purely
natural principle of human life, and "spirit" as the "saved soul",
sharing in the nature of God, the state of grace, the infused
virtues to which we are heirs through faith in Christ and
baptism.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Mateo
- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit -
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