Citation
King, P. E. (2016). The reciprocating self: Trinitarian and Christological anthropologies of being and becoming. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 35(3), 215-232.
Abstract
This paper summarizes a Christological and trinitarian anthropology in order to propose a developmental teleology that offers a vision for being and becoming human. From a Christological perspective, Jesus Christ is the perfect image of God, and becoming like Christ as distinct persons is God’s intention for all of humanity. How humans are conformed to Christ occurs through and results in mutual, reciprocal relations with God, humans, and creation. Drawing on Christology and the doctrine of the image of God, I propose that living as reciprocating selves is God’s telos for humankind. As such, the significance of conformity to the image of God in Christ, human diversity, relatedness, and reciprocity are discussed in light of humankind’s relationship with God and one another. As humans respond to God’s love and participate in the ongoing creating, redeeming, and perfecting work of the Trinity, humanity assists in building God’s kingdom and glorifying God. This formulation does not limit the imago to a singular substance, quality, ability, or disposition that mirrors the image of God, but favors a malleable understanding of imaging God that enables humans to participate in the life of the triune God and become more Christ-like as unique selves. From this standpoint, imaging God is not only relational, but dynamic, functional, and directional. Although this telos is an eschatological goal, implications for Christian psychology are discussed.
Copyright
Holder: Christian Association for Psychological Studies
Year: 2016
DOI: https://www-proquest-com.fuller.idm.oclc.org/docview/1869927861?parentSessionId=f0CSFz9yq5MMFVrLF4%2BVlbXX6Y9Da%2B04%2FiPSFPHEg6E%3D&accountid=11008&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals
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