Christian Anthropology and the relation with Positive Psychology and Human Flourishing in the 21st Century through the Orthodox Christian Teaching

• Published in: Volinsʹkij blagovìsnik Vol. 8; pp. 79 - 101
• Main Author: Eirini Artemi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Ukrainian
• Published: EIKΩN, publishing house of the Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy 01.10.2020
• Subjects: christian anthropology; creation; eudaimonia; human flourishing; humankind; image and likeness of god; positive psychology
• ISSN: 2519-4348
• DOI: 10.33209/2519-4348-2707-9627-2020-8-74

Creation, including humankind, is a gift of God, expressing his love and revealing the divine intention. In creation, God brings into existence human beings with the freedom to love both God and their fellow creatures (Rom 1:20). Human beings are created according to the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26–27). The fact of human being created in the image of God means that humanity, right from the moment of creation, was endowed with a royal character. God is love and source of love: the divine Creator has drawn this feature on human faces too. Man struggles for his eudaimonia. Christian tries to obtain eudaimonia through the orders of God and the unity with Him. Man has been dealing with the human flourishing since the creation of societies and the progress of culture. This human flourishing is connected with the twofold of human nature, body and soul. For Christian, the ability to reflect God can be traced in all aspects of human life. Thus the image is what is given at the outset, conferred on all of us as persons, whereas the likeness is attained through our free cooperation (synergeia) with grace. In the 21st century Christians have to face up the combination of Christian Anthropology, Positive Psychology and Human Flourishing and they should not be trapped in the jail of modernity which connects Positive Psychology and Human Flourishing with only materialistic goods.