O SUJEITO RECÍPROCO: ANTROPOLOGIAS TRINITÁRIA E CRISTOLÓGICA DO SER E DO VIR-A-SER

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.Este documento resume uma antropologia cristológica e trinitária para propor uma teleologia de desenvolvimento que oferece uma visão do ser e do tornar-se humano. De uma perspectiva cristológica, Jesus Cristo é a imagem perfeita de Deus, e tornar-se como Cristo como pessoas distintas é a intenção de Deus para toda a humanidade. Como os humanos são conformados a Cristo, ocorre e resulta em relações mútuas e recíprocas com Deus, com os seres humanos e com a criação. Baseando-me na cristologia e na doutrina da imagem de Deus, proponho que viver como sujeitos recíprocos é o telos de Deus para a humanidade. Como tal, o significado da conformidade com a imagem de Deus em Cristo, a diversidade humana, o relacionamento e a reciprocidade são discutidos à luz do relacionamento da humanidade com Deus e uns com os outros. Como os humanos respondem ao amor de Deus e participam do trabalho contínuo de criação, redenção e aperfeiçoamento da Trindade, a humanidade ajuda a construir o reino de Deus e a glorificar a Deus. Esta formulação não limita a imago a uma substância singular, qualidade, habilidade ou disposição que espelha a imagem de Deus, mas favorece uma compreensão maleável da imagem de Deus que permite aos humanos participar da vida do Deus trino e tornar-se mais semelhantes a Cristo - como sujeitos únicos. Deste ponto de vista, a imagem de Deus não é apenas relacional, mas dinâmica, funcional e direcional. Embora este telos seja um objetivo escatológico, as implicações para a psicologia cristã são discutidas

ALEGRIA COMO VIRTUDE: OS MEIOS E FINS DA ALEGRIA

To grasp human flourishing and thriving, we must understand joy. However, no theoretical models explain the complexity of joy as a fruit of the Spirit, nor fully account for its impact on human life. We suggest that joy is best conceptualized as a virtue, a psychological habit, comprised of characteristic adaptations and given meaning by transcendent narrative identity. Thus joy involves knowing, feeling, and enacting what matters most. Developmental science and Christian theological approaches to teleology inform the ultimate ends to which joy is aimed. They suggest that telos, the purpose or goal of development, may be understood as a dynamic process that perpetuates human and social thriving and involves (1) the growing self, (2) mutually beneficial relationships, and (3) evolving moral guidelines that ensure an ongoing fit and flourishing of self and society. We synthesize developmental psychology, virtue science, and theology to propose a definition and framework for understanding the development of joy through thriving. In order to promote scholarship on joy and to elucidate its transformative nature, we discuss joy in light of discipleship, vocation, suffering, justice, and eschatology and identify issues for research.Para abarcar o florescimento e a prosperidade humana, devemos entender a alegria. Entretanto, nenhum modelo teórico explica a complexidade da alegria como fruto do Espírito, nem explica plenamente seu impacto na vida humana. Sugerimos que a alegria é melhor conceituada como uma virtude, um hábito psicológico, composto de adaptações características e que oferece sentido por uma identidade narrativa transcendente. Assim, a alegria envolve conhecer, sentir e adotar o que é mais importante. A ciência do desenvolvimento e as abordagens teológicas cristãs da teleologia informam os fins últimos aos quais a alegria é dirigida. Elas sugerem que telos, o propósito ou objetivo do desenvolvimento, pode ser entendido como um processo dinâmico que perpetua a prosperidade humana e social e envolve (1) o self crescente, (2) relações mutuamente benéficas, e (3) diretrizes morais em evolução que garantam um contínuo ajuste e florescimento de si mesmo e da sociedade. Nós unimos a psicologia do desenvolvimento, a ciência da virtude e a teologia para propor uma definição e um paradigma para entender o desenvolvimento da alegria através do florescimento. A fim de promover a investigação sobre a alegria e para elucidar sua natureza transformadora, discutimos a alegria à luz do discipulado, vocação, sofrimento, justiça e escatologia e identificamos questões para pesquisa

Theology, News and Notes - Vol. 52, No. 03

Theology News & Notes was a theological journal published by Fuller Theological Seminary from 1954 through 2014.https://digitalcommons.fuller.edu/tnn/1154/thumbnail.jp

Purpose and Spirituality: Exploring the Role of Fidelity in Diverse Adolescents

Purpose is understood to reflect young people’s stable and generalized commitments to accomplish meaningful activity and contribute productively to society. Religion has been linked with purpose; however, the nature of this relationship is not well understood. Given that purpose and religion involve beliefs and devotion, the current study examined fidelity as a means of understanding this relationship in a group of religiously and culturally diverse youth from around the world. The participants were 30 adolescents aged 12-21 (M = 17.73 years) nominated for living with profound spirituality in their community. Consensual qualitative research (CQR) strategies were used. Analysis revealed that 29 of the participants reported a sense of purpose and all 30 participants described some aspect of fidelity that involved (a) beliefs, (b) values, (c) morals, and (d) resolute commitment. These findings highlight the centrality of fidelity as a link between religion and purpose among diverse youth. Future directions for research and practice are discussed

Purpose and Spirituality: Exploring the Role of Fidelity in Diverse Adolescents

Purpose is understood to reflect young people’s stable and generalized commitments to accomplish meaningful activity and contribute productively to society. Religion has been linked with purpose; however, the nature of this relationship is not well understood. Given that purpose and religion involve beliefs and devotion, the current study examined fidelity as a means of understanding this relationship in a group of religiously and culturally diverse youth from around the world. The participants were 30 adolescents aged 12-21 (M = 17.73 years) nominated for living with profound spirituality in their community. Consensual qualitative research (CQR) strategies were used. Analysis revealed that 29 of the participants reported a sense of purpose and all 30 participants described some aspect of fidelity that involved (a) beliefs, (b) values, (c) morals, and (d) resolute commitment. These findings highlight the centrality of fidelity as a link between religion and purpose among diverse youth. Future directions for research and practice are discussed

Agentic and Receptive Hope: Understanding Hope in the Context of Religiousness and Spirituality through the Narratives of Salvadoran Youth

Hope contributes to positive development in adolescents, and religious and spiritual contexts may be particularly important for developing and supporting hope. However, extant literature on hope, religion, and spirituality neglects their synergistic relation, leaving questions about how they work together to support development. In this study, we explore how religiousness and spirituality (R/S) inform hope by identifying unique synergies that might be particularly useful in difficult contexts. Multilevel qualitative content analyses of interviews conducted with 18 thriving Salvadoran adolescents (50% female, Mage = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) involved in a faith-based program provided evidence that the ideological and relational resources associated with R/S informed these adolescents’ agentic and receptive hopes. Agentic hopes, identified through expressed hopeful future expectations, revealed that adolescents held beyond-the-self hopes focused on benefiting three distinct targets: God, community, and family. Youth also described “sanctified hopes”, which were hopes focused on fulfilling God’s purposes directly and indirectly. Analyses of receptive hopes, which consider how hope is shaped and empowered by context, revealed that for these youth, hope was experienced in seven key contexts: self, caring adult relationships, family, God, youth development sponsor, social activities, and peers. Implications for fostering hope in R/S contexts within low-to-middle-income countries are discussed