By Lydia Jaeger

Abstract: The concept of personhood is crucial for our understanding of what it is to be human. This article considers the ways that Christological debates in the early Church contributed to the emergence of the concept of person. It then suggests that neglect of the theological roots of this concept is the reason why modern definitions of person are unsatisfactory. The latter typically refer to particular properties of the individual, whereas the Trinitarian concept of person is relational. Finally, some ethical implications are drawn from the Christological insight that the person is a fundamental ontological category. In particular, this perspective defends the personhood of those who do not meet the criteria of modern definitions of person.

Please find Lydia’s article in TGC Themelios Journal (I couldn’t link to the individual articles). Professor Jaeger has a fuller treatment of these thoughts in French but here is a well crafted and succinct synopsis covering inter-related concepts. Her article is examines biblical concepts and how they impact the understanding of self or the person. Highly recommended.

Themelios