What Is The Difference(s) Between Spirit And Soul?

[Paladin D]

I'm wondering myself, any resources I can read up on this?

[Paladin D]

Bumpage.

[qfnol31]

I really consider them the same things.

[Paladin D]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Aug 5 2004, 11:48 PM'] I really consider them the same things. [/quote]
Maybe it's the way I grew up, spirit being the thing that goes to heaven, and your soul being your emotions.

[White Knight]

I dunno if the CHurch approves of this or not. but Ive heard this before, right now I can't find any Scriptures to back it up dude. I'll look later.


Body= Flesh
Soul=Mind
Spirit= Conscience

[qfnol31]

Well, the Church teaches that we are made up of a body and soul. The soul goes to Heaven, the body dies (but is resurrected). Our spirit can either be how we act or our soul, just depends on your definition.

[Laudate_Dominum]

When someone describes the human person in terms of body, soul and spirit (this is called a tripartite anthropology) they usually mean something like:
body (GK: soma) = material element
soul (GK: psyche) = life principle or animating principle common with animals
spirit (GK: pneuma or nous) = transcendent spiritual aspect which is particular to man (and that which is eternal)

I'm being general here and I'm coming at it from the classical perspective. St. Paul uses a tripartite anthropology here and there in his letters, it was a common approach back then. These days we tend to think merely in terms of body and soul and some people would use spirit synonymously with soul or would equate it with the mind (this is reminiscent of cartesian dualism and the like).

God bless.

[Spoken4byChrist]

do animals have souls?
i don't think so. never have. but if you look at it a different way...
im asking the same question(what's the difference between soul and spirit)but maybe:
humans and animals have souls but humans have a spirit, animals don't. our spirit is part of God's spirit in us. its the part that will go up to heaven and join (or re-join, if its a part of Him to begin with) with God.
im not intirely sure. maybe ill do some more research since im not the only one wondering and then get back to you guys.

[qfnol31]

Actually, animals do have souls, sensate souls. They're just not immortal souls.

Edited August 6, 2004 by qfnol31

[White Knight]

Well some seem to think the Body in itself is a Trinity representer.

Body, Soul, Spirit, Are ONE.

Body Seperate, Soul Seperate, Spirit Seperate= 3 different things, yet one all attached together, until your deparature of the Soul from the Body.


I wish I knew of scripture to see if this is true or not, or to try to back it up, but I have no evidence or links to do it.

[qfnol31]

All that I've posted come from Augustine (and Aristotle).

[Laudate_Dominum]

The body (soma), soul (psyche), spirit (pneuma) distinctions I gave above are in the bible (for example 1 Thessalonians), this tripartite anthropology was common in the ancient west, the Platonists, Neo-platonists, Stoics, etc.. used this terminology. Although there are always nuances to be considered.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[i]May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche) and body (soma) be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [/i]- 1Thessalonians 5:23

[qfnol31]

LoL, but don't they sometimes use different words to say the same thing and drive in a point? In Sunday After Evening Prayer I, it says, "...you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul, and strength..."

I always thought the heart was part of the soul.

[Laudate_Dominum]

hehe, yeah, its all terminology. This isn't really a doctrinal issue. The common concept of soul today includes what was at one time distinguished as spirit. If you look at the etymology of words such as psyche, nous, pneuma, you discover that they have been used in synonymous ways throughout the history of the Greek language.

The Church hasn't defined tripartite or bipartite anthropology and you will find both in the history of Catholic thought. It is the underlying concept of a transcendent aspect of the human person and his transcendent dignity that is important, not the various terminology so much.

[Laudate_Dominum]

It should also be noted that in the OT you find two Hebrew words: nephesh and ruwach, which correspond to soul and spirit. This suggests the tripartite structure that Paul uses.

Peace.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='White Knight' date='Aug 5 2004, 11:17 PM'] Well some seem to think the Body in itself is a Trinity representer.

Body, Soul, Spirit, Are ONE.

Body Seperate, Soul Seperate, Spirit Seperate= 3 different things, yet one all attached together, until your deparature of the Soul from the Body.


I wish I knew of scripture to see if this is true or not, or to try to back it up, but I have no evidence or links to do it. [/quote]
That's cool White Knight! You are on to something.

[qfnol31]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' date='Aug 5 2004, 11:31 PM'] hehe, yeah, its all terminology. This isn't really a doctrinal issue. The common concept of soul today includes what was at one time distinguished as spirit. If you look at the etymology of words such as psyche, nous, pneuma, you discover that they have been used in synonymous ways throughout the history of the Greek language.

The Church hasn't defined tripartite or bipartite anthropology and you will find both in the history of Catholic thought. It is the underlying concept of a transcendent aspect of the human person and his transcendent dignity that is important, not the various terminology so much. [/quote]
What fun would it be to discuss if they had.

[White Knight]

Body, Soul, and Spirit are One, while your alive in your physcial State.


But when you depart from ya body, your seperated from everything else, making it Three. Body dies (but will be Resseructed); Soul ethier goes to Heaven or Hell, Spirit always goes to Heaven.

Body is your alive State your Flesh.

Your Soul is YOU Personally, Your Mind, Thoughts etc etc.

The Spirit is the Spirit of God in you or with you.

[b]1 Thessalonians 5:23 "And the very God of peace santify you wolly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."[/b]

Now Ive heard this theroy many times, I dunno if the Church approves of it though.

Edited August 6, 2004 by White Knight