Understanding the Self

1
Understanding the Self

• What does it mean to be Huuumon?

2
Ideas on the Nature of Humanity

• The Reasoning Self - Pascal
• Self-Awareness - physical being with limits
• Self-Transcendence - always becoming
• The Self as the Divine - Hindu
• The Self as the Image of God - Imago Dei
• The Obedient Self - Augustine
• The Loving Self - love obedience

3
Meaning of Person in Religion

• Religion helps one navigate through the many
  changes in life. It provides identity, goals,
  hopes, aspirations, growth, development, avenue
  of attaining ultimate maturity and realized
  potential.

4
Dimensions of the Self and Religion

• Religion seeks to help the person integrate
  aspects of the person into the total life.
  Emotion, action and belief are combined into the
  whole person. Thought in religion arises as
  meaning and serves as a direction-giving factor.
  Emotion gives to it warmth and vibrancy.

5
Views of Being Human East and West

• East Human beings are one species among many
  natural beings
• West Human beings as Gods Creation. Humans are
  believed to be above all other creatures. This
  is an exalted view of humanity.

6
Doubt

• ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

7
Doubt

• Doubt is a part of life and living. Some say
  that it is a necessary step to spiritual maturity.

8
Levels of Doubt

• The theologian Paul Tillich has identified four
  types of doubt
• Scientific
• Skeptical
• Existential
• Redemptive

9
Scientific Doubt

• Scientific - It is part of a method of discovery
  truth. One questions basic assumptions as a way
  of getting to the truth or for further discovery.

10
Skeptical Doubt

• Skeptical doubt is an attitude of actually
  rejecting any certainty. One doubts that one can
  be sure of anything. It can be negative and lead
  to pessimism where one become cynical about
  everything. On the positive side one can have
  doubts about doubts and move beyond skepticism.

11
Existential Doubt

• Existential doubt is when one doubts the meaning
  and/or purpose of ones life. One questions the
  validity of ones life. It is present in ones
  very existence. However, it can lead to
  understanding the precarious nature of life.

12
Redemptive Doubt

• When existential doubt causes one to commit
  oneself to a higher purpose and a deeper level it
  becomes redemptive doubt. Here, faith means
  trusting or risking ones life in commitment that
  does not close its eyes to uncertainty.