The Human Soul of Jesus Christ in the Manifestations of His True Divinity

From the earliest centuries of Christianity, there has been a progressive intensification of interest in the person and works of Jesus of Nazareth, who “was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes” (Mk 1:22). The manifestations of Christ’s person are expressions both of authentic humanity and of true divinity. Accordingly, theological inquiry has been increasingly drawn to the ontological structure of Christ’s person and the operative functions of its constituent elements. Already in the patristic era, a tripartite schema—divinity, human soul, and human body—emerges, becoming a hallmark of subsequent Christological development. The Son of God entered into human existence by assuming a body from the Virgin Mary, becoming fully human, and receiving not only a human body but also a rational human soul. This soul, in accordance with its created nature, possesses not only self­-awareness but also knowledge of the divine person of Christ. This raises complex questions regarding the nature of Christ’s human psychology, which—by virtue of the hypostatic union—is drawn into contact with the mystery of the divine essence. The psyché of Christ is exercised within a mode of subsistence proper to the divine person, a fact that grounds certain prerogatives of Christ’s human nature and distinguishes it in significant ways from ordinary human subjectivity.

Keywords: Person; Divine/Human Nature; Soul; Divinity; Humanity