What are we made of?

[Unoriginalname]

I am not a huge philosophy geek so I am going to apologize for how crudely put together this set of questions is. In Christianity, I know we have a soul and a body, I have no idea what the orthodox understanding of the interaction between them is. What I have always wondered though is how do we talk about how physiological things alter who we are? When a person has dementia or a traumatic brain injury in Western thought we talk about them losing a part of who they are. And I just wondered what is happening I mean we often identify who people are with their actions, attitudes and thoughts which are not immutable but can be modified, through decay and injury. I know God will restore and redeem us on the last day, but in the mean time who are we? What is the way we identify who a person is?

 

[GloriousBoaz]

Hmmm.... interesting question. Part of that possibly hinges on whether you believe in a tripartate or bipartate distinction.

If we are in the image of God and that image is marred we tend to operate subpar, for instance if our will is bound we operate in depravity, i'd image that also if our rational center is impaired we will operate less rationally in our image bearing of God. Also other parts of our being in the image of God which can be affected by the fall being our emotions, physical ability, and our ability to love.

I don't know if that is in anyway a philosophical answer I'm just musing basically, more theological I imagine.

I've been curious lately since my grandfather has dementia and is doing weird stuff, (lewd even) and my grandma says when he is doing that that he isn't the man she once knew. I've been wondering if he still can be elected and called in that state, i imagine it is far from impossible for God but has he had all of his chanced in the 75 years he kinda muddle through faith going through the motions in church. Thats a hard one for me (emotionally).

 

[Pergamum]

Boys are made of snails and puppy dog tails and girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice...

..at least that's the word on the street.

 

[antony73]

I have absolutely no idea. But I guess that the soul, would merely be suppressed by the physical illness of the body.

GloriousBoaz - I shall pray for your father. With God, as you well know, all things are possible.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Boys are made of snails and puppy dog tails and girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice...

..at least that's the word on the street.

Argh! You beat me to it!

 

[GloriousBoaz]

GloriousBoaz - I shall pray for your father. With God, as you well know, all things are possible.

My grandfather. Thank you very much it is very much appreciated, incidentally my father is about 58 yrs old now and his memory is "slipping" at times which makes me worry about him too going down that road eventually (no blood relation to my grandfather though) my dad is in good health and I would hate to not be able to talk to him like we do now you know. Thanks again, anything I can pray for you for Antony?

 

[Unoriginalname]

Is there an official Christian understanding between how our physical bodies interact with our souls when it comes to things like the mind?