Self-realization in contemporary theology : towards a vision of Christian wholeness

Abstract

This research determines the ground for a Christian theological anthropology that makes provision for a doctrine that supports human self-realization. It is evident from the study that anthropological self-realization is an involved process of becoming truly human, not an isolated course founded solely on the biblical knowledge of being created in the image and likeness of God. All sciences, and in particular anthropological sciences, enjoy the prerogative of unraveling and analyzing the human person. Whether these sciences are neuro-biological, psychological, theological, philosophical, biblical, spiritual or mystical in character, each with its specific method legitimately attempts to explain the complexities of the human person. In the light of this neither philosophy nor theology possess the exclusive claim to authentic human wisdom. In truth most scientific insights have a combined impact on the self-realizing growth and development of humanity. The process of self-realization links theology to real life questions such as evil, suffering, hope, love, justice and freedom, as well as with the immanent, the transcendent, the human and the divine. This thesis holds to the opinion that a theology of self-realization would contribute to the 'humanization' of theology since it brings praxis and theory into close alignment. This study equally expresses the conviction that the doctrine of consecrated vowed life, an ecclesiastical structure in the Roman Catholic Church, is particularly in need of humanization, as the notion of 'self' as a strength has been notably absent from traditional treatises on the practices of religious life. Conventional forms of consecrated vowed life called the woman to suppress and spiritualize at least some of her femininity. This was due to the distorted theological anthropology that sustained consecrated life in which God was presented as an idea to be grasped intellectually, and not an experience to be lived.