Resonant selves in ethical and theological perspective: On personhood and identity formation

Abstract

Absorbing insights from secular discourses on personhood, theology can provide added perspectives on human identity. ( 1) An attributive view of personal dignity based on divine and social recognition encompasses both capacity-oriented and relation-centred views of personhood. (2) Gregory of Nyssa shows Patristic resources for multifaceted ecological self in some contrast to the inner-Trinitarian idea of ecclesial persons in John D. Zizioulas. (3) An economic Trinitarian model of personhood is proposed, in which the indwelling of Christ is balanced by a pneumatological anthropology. ( 4) Entering contemporary discussions, the paper proposes a "sonar" or "re-sonant" understanding of the human per-sona, hereby accommodating and responding to particularistic challenges to the idea of a shared human personhood.