The Human

General idea (the essence)

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the nature of the human being as composed of body, soul, and spirit, and explains the functional difference between them from a biblical and Coptic Orthodox spiritual perspective. He connects biblical texts and church tradition to show how these elements interact, and how sin enters man through the spirit or the body or the conscience. He also affirms that man was created in the image of God in righteousness, knowledge, and holiness, and that the freedom granted to man brings responsibility.

Main elements of the lecture

• Definition of the components of the human: the body (the material element), the soul (the element of bodily life and identity), and the spirit (the spiritual element that is related to God).
• Distinction between soul and spirit in the Holy Bible and textual examples that clarify the usage of the two terms in different senses.
• The possibility of the spirit falling into sin (like Satan and the fallen angels) and the spirit sharing with the body in sin or leading it into it.
• The function of conscience and mind: conscience is a voice from God granted to man but it may err, and the mind is also susceptible to error.
• Interaction of body and spirit: bodily devotional movements (prostration, removing shoes, fasting before communion) affect the spirit and nourish reverence, and vice versa.
• Man in the image of God: man partakes in God’s attributes (righteousness, holiness, knowledge, authority, freedom) but with human limits and an innate longing for the unlimited.
• Freedom and responsibility: God gave man free will, and with it came the possibility of error but also the divine plan of redemption in response to that freedom.
• Brief theological issues: a historical discussion about whether the spirit is “created” or “generated” and the impact of that on matters like original sin and moral judgments (reference to the Augustine–Jerome dispute).

The spiritual and Coptic Orthodox pastoral dimension

• Emphasis on the need to purify the soul, body, and spirit through worship and the sacraments (such as the Divine Liturgy, repentance, and fasting) because each element requires holiness.
• A call to practical spiritual discipline: it is not sufficient to rely on intention only; the believer must use the body in the rites of worship (prostration, removing shoes, fasting, preparation for communion) so that reverence enters the spirit.
• A spiritual warning against pride, envy, and the pursuit of greatness, because these are spiritual slips that can lead to the falling of the body and conscience.
• Encouragement to strive for perfection and the longing for the unlimited God as a trait inherited from being created in God’s image.

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الروح
Spirit