Soul and Spirit: a Synthesis

Soul and spirit. The soul, the self, decides between spirit and the flesh; and yet, the decision for spirit is something which is made possible by the freedom restored by the encounter with Christ and His Holy Spirit. Soul, the self, is the seat of morality: without spirit the soul is moralistic; the spirit without morality is impossible, a pantheistic pretension. Body signifies man's relation with others; spirit signifies his relation with the Infinite — and without both, man can know neither God nor neighbor. Ideally, the soul follows the spirit and expresses itself in the body. Heart is the Biblical word which stresses this unity of body, soul, and spirit. Over the last few hundred years, most Protestants and Catholics have neglected spirit and instead contented themselves with dueling moralisms. This neglect has been more common among the laity than the monastics, and therefore more common among Protestants — as lay communities — than among Catholics...

In fact, Christianity is the announcement of the nearness of God in Jesus Christ, and therefore in the baptized, that is the Church. If the Face of the Infinite has drawn near, piety and moralism are not enough: I want to see this Face. It is this Face which makes Christian morality, Christian piety realities and not merely the expression of an arbitrary or more-or-less righteous personality. The first morality is to sit at the feet of Christ, which entails as well the corporal and spiritual works of mercy done for affection for Him.