Conflict, Ethics, and Spirituality Homo Theomorphicus et Theophoricus

This book explores the broad anthropological foundations of spirituality including science, psychology, philosophy, and theology. Human spirituality is an essential topic in both present-day humanistic and scientific debates. Reflection on spirituality leads us to the conclusion that we are formed both as a vessel to receive the grace and presence of God, as well as to be the bearers of God’s image, which is expressed most fully in acts of self-transcendence. In such an approach, the human being emerges as homo theomorphicus et theophoricus. This approach to our nature, finds an equivalent perspective in our spirituality, resulting in a discovery of its receptive-responsive nature. We associate spiritual receptivity with “God-shape-ness”, our state of being formed in the image or likeness of God, that is, theomorphism; our responsiveness engenders “God-bearing-ness”, that is, theophorism. This book is the fruit of extended and intensive research by the author who happens to be a believer. Hence, the last part of it is theological but in its earlier parts it remains faithful to scientific methodology, venturing through neuroscience, psychology and philosophy.