Christian anthropology and the relation with positive psychology and human flourishing in the 21st century through the Orthodox Christian teaching

^{7 8} “Christian Flourishing in a Technological World”, https://www.christianflourishing.com/about [accessed 5 November 2018]. ⁹ Ibidem.

8° Stanley S. Harakas, “For the Health of Body and Soul: An Eastern Orthodox Introduction to Bioethics”, https://www.goarch.org/el/-/for-the-health-of-body-and-soul-an-eastern-orthodox-introduction-to-bioethics

“Holy Tradition consists of the “mind of the Church” and is discerned in the decisions of ecumenical and local councils, the writings of the Fathers of the Church, canon law, and the penitentials”⁸¹.

Let's examine one by one the previous factors for organs transplantation and brain death and etc by the view of the Holy Synod of Orthodox Church of Greece and the special bioethical committee of the Holy Synod. They recognize organs transplantation with particular sympathy, understanding and gravity. It understands the size of the problem and the possibilities that transplantation provides, and its large debt to society, to the medical profession, to other donors and to potential donors. It wants to help the recipient wants to help, but on the other hand to respect the donor⁸². According to this Syndic Committee it is a common belief that the reason and role of Orthodox Greek Church for transplants in Greece is central. Transplantation is perhaps one of only a few issues in which the state has the direct need of the Church. This creates in the Church social rights and great obligations. With the idea that transplants can easily lead to abuse and violation of fundamental ethical principles and values and there are huge differences between secular and ecclesiastic ethic, the Orthodox Greek Church should be very careful in its actions and sparing in words. With the cooperation of the state, the Church sets out clear terms, so that not to take responsibilities for cosmic decisions and actions which will probably become completely different in spirit and purpose.

The absence of a formal ecclesiastical position on the subject led to an arbitrary or reckless rejection of transplants by specifically competent non-commissioned persons. This has caused confusion, sometimes divisiveness, between the faithful and the theological world. Currently, the Greek Orthodox Church clearly and with low tones declares that it could accept the organs transplantation under strict terms to avoid the easy acceptance of them and any easy refusal for the organs transplantation⁸³.

As far as the choice of gender, the Bioethics Committee of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece condemns the government's legislative initiative to vote the legislation about the identity of gender. Among other things, the Commission states: “It cannot be acceptable; it is a law that allows the unconditioned change of sex according to the will of the person and regardless of his biological sex”⁸⁴. Finally, the Ibidem. Special holy Synodic Committee, “Basic positions of the ethic for organs transplantation”, http://www.ecclesia.gr/greek/holysynod/commitees/bioethics/k0005.htm

^{8 3} Ibidem. ^{8 4} Bishop of Messinias, Chrysostom Savvatos, “Vertically negative the Church with the gender change legislation”, https://www.tharrosnews.gr/mws/contmt/%CE%BC%CE%B choice of sex in in-vitro fertilization treatment is only allowed to avoid a sex- related hereditary disease (article of Law 1455§ 2). Thus, sex is neither freely chosen nor freely altered. By way of exception, Greek law mentions the term «gender change» in Law 344/1976, article 14 (Changes in civil registry data) and in Article of Law 11 § 3 (information about patient) Law 3418/2005 which based on the Code of Medical Ethics.

Bishop Mesogaias and Lavraiotikis Nicholas supports about the eugonia assisted reproduction:

“The embryo has both a human beginning and a human perspective. Its cells, genetic material, morphology and physiology are entirely human. Moreover, its potential to develop solely into a perfect human being, and nothing else, confirms its human nature... The Church proposes a non-secularized perception of life that guarantees simplicity, peace, abstinence and mutual trust between spouses. She does not oppose resorting to medical help, but, at the same time, suggests that we render our life into the hands of God... Finally the Church should clarify that She finds it difficult to bless the practice of assisted reproduction (unnatural and asexual conception, surplus embryos, preimplantation genetic intervention and modification, etc.) and adopt policies foreign to Her spirit; (v) when childbearing disturbs the normal family order (unwed mothers, fertilization with deceased husband's spermatozoa, childbearing by older women, heterologous fertilization techniques, surrogate motherhood, etc.) it is evident that the Church cannot possibly agree"7%CF%84%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AF%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82- %CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B7%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%82-%CE%B A%CE%AC%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B1-%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF% 84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE-%CE%B7-%CE%B5%CE%BA%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF %83%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BC% CE%BF%CF%83%CF%87%CE%AD%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BF-%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE% BB%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%AE%CF%82-%CF%86%CF%8D%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%85- %CE%B2%CE%AF%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%BF [accessed 6 November 2018] Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki, "The Greek Orthodox position on the ethics of assisted reproduction”, RBMOnline. Vol. 17 Suppl. 3. 2008 25-33 Reproductive BioMedicine Online; www.rbmonline.com/Artide/3548 on web 1 October 2008, p. 31,32,33 (25-33)..

Abortion for the Orthodox Greek Church is thought as as premeditated murder. As such, She strongly opposes it because God demands the protection of all innocent human life, including that of the unborn child. The humanity (person- hood) of that child exists from conception, a scientific fact that has always been recognized and unquestioned in Orthodox theology from the very beginning. Indeed, conception and not birth is the moment of the union of soul and body. The deliberate destruction and desecration of a human being is unthinkable for a true-believing Orthodox Christian. God created Man in his own likeness and image, man is a living icon of flesh and blood, in which God gave the breath of life. Killing an innocent human being can be seen is an act of blasphemy against God - it is the ultimate act of iconoclasm⁸⁶.

As far as Surrogate Motherhood and cloning, the Orthodox Greek Church cannot regard as morally justified the ways to childbirth disagreeable with the design of the Creator of life. If a husband or a wife is sterile and the therapeutic and surgical methods of infertility treatment do not help the spouses, they should humbly accept childlessness as a special calling in life. In these cases, pastoral counsel should consider the adoption of a child by the spouses' mutual consent. Among the admissible means of medical aid may be an artificial insemination by the husband's germ cells, since it does not violate the integrity of the marital union and does not differ basically from the natural conception and takes place in the context of marital relations. However, manipulations involved in the donation of germ cells do violate the integrity of a person and the unique nature of marital relations by allowing of a third party to interfere⁸⁷.

By all these above suggestions, it becomes clear that the Orthodox Greek Church and generally all the Orthodox Churches in all over the world are in favour of human flourishing and the progress of bioethics with the term that they should be comprise with the biblical and patristic Christian anthropology and the ethics of the Church which bases on Christ's teaching and the tradition of the Church. This fact creates many times a confliction between Orthodox Church and Secular opinion about the human Flourishing.

Conclusions

In summary, God created man in His own image to be a spiritual, moral, intellectual, volitional, and emotional representative of Himself. Fr. Seraphim Rose says: “Everything in this life passes away - only God remains, only He is worth struggling towards. We have a choice: to follow the way of this world, of the society that surrounds ⁸⁶ Fr. John Protopapas, “Abortion: An Orthodox Christian Perspective on the Sanctity of Human Life”, Pro-Life, 29/1/2011, https://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/20H/01/29/ abortion-an-orthodox-christian-perspective-on-the-sanctity-of-human-lfe/ ⁷ Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki, “The Greek Orthodox position on the ethics of assisted reproduction”, RBMOnline - Vol. 17 Suppl. 3. 2008 25-33 Reproductive BioMedicine Online; www.rbmonline.com/Artide/3548 on web 1 October 2008, p. 30-33 (25-33).

⁸⁸ Theotokos: The life-giving fount [spring], http//samtandrewgoc.org/home/2013/5/13/thetokos-the- life-gmngfomt-spring.html us, and thereby find ourselves outside of God; or to choose the way of life, to choose God Who calls us and for Whom our heart is searching”⁸⁸.

Christian anthropology supports that there is an absolute respect for the human person, not as a form of fleeting biological existence, but as an eternal and immortal being, is a presupposition for a kind of medicine that contributes to life in a beneficial and helpful way. The human flourishing and the positive psychology should have their foundations on Christ and the revelation of divine Truth into people through prophets, church fathers, apostles and the incarnation of Logos.

Professor Scouteris underlined that the Patristic anthropology and the Orthodox Church are realistic, but at the same time intensely ascetic and eschatological. What determines human life is not biological behaviour or existence, but rather it is that which the human person can attain through ascetic practice and the fruits of that ascetic practice within Christian society. In the Orthodox tradition the whole existence of the human person is illumined by what is going to happen. Thus, future life bears more weight than this present life. In the conscience of the Church what we are certainly counts, since in the Eastern tradition the future, the eschaton⁸⁹.

To sum up, the Christian anthropology should walk near the progress of medical technology and theories about the human flourishing and the positive psychology, but is should have as only compass the words of Christ and the teaching of the apostles and fathers. Christian should examine everything concerning human nature the potential to become like God. The human flourishing should be based on the realization of Triune God's likeness within each person.

Bibliography sources

1. Holy Bible, publ. Apostoliki Diakonia of Greek Orthodox Church, Athens 2000.

2. Holy Bible, transl. New King James Version, online, https://www.biblegateway.com/

3. Aristotle, the Nicomachean Ethics. translated by David Ross and edited by Lesley Brown. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

4. Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine, https://faculty.georgetown.edu/jod/augustine/ ddc.html

5. Basilius of Caesarea, Homily XIII, PG 31, 429A-453.

6. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0210.htm

7. Gregory Nazianzen, The Oration on Holy Baptism, Discourse XL, http://www.mwad- vent.org/fathers/310240htm

8. Gregory Nazianzen, In Defence of His Flight to Pontus, and His Return, After His Ordination to the Priesthood, with an Exposition of the Character of the Priestly Office, Discours II, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310202.htm

9. Gregory Nazianzen, On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ, Discourse XXXVIII, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310238.htm

10. Gregory Nazianzen, On the Love of the Poor, Discourse 14, https://link.springer.com/ content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-1-137-50269-8_10.pdf

11. Gregory Nazianzen, selected poems, transl. by John McGuckin, SLG 1986

12. Gregory of Nyssa, On the making of man, transl. by H.A. Wilson, From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 2nd series, Vol. 5, ed. by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893, rev. and ed. for New Advent by Kevin Knight, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2914.htm.

13. John Damascene, En Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, http://www.orthodox.net/ fathers/exactidx.html

14. John Chrysostom, On the obscurity of the Prophesies PG 56, 182-223

15. Nektarios of Aegina, Path to Happiness, https://intuitivepi.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/ st-nektarios-of-aegina-path-to-happiness/

16. Alfeyev, Hilarion (2011), “St. Symeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition", Oxford Scholarship Online, DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270096.003.0009, p. 1-20.

17. Alpern KD (1992). “The Ethics of Reproductive Technology" Oxford University Press, New York, p. 19-20.

18. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2008 Committee opinion number 397: Surrogate motherhood. Obstetrics and Gynecology 111, 465-70.

19. Antinori S, Versaci C, Cerusico F et al. 2003 Obstetric and prenatal outcome in menopausal women: a 12-year clinical study. Reproductive BioMedicine Online 6, 257-261.

20. “Christian Flourishing in a Technological World" https://www.christianflourishing. com/about [accessed 5 November 2018].

21. Entwhistle, D.N. &Moroney, S.K. (2011). Integrative perspectives on human flourishing: The imago dei and positive psychology. Journal of Psychology and Theology 39, 295-303.

22. Fleming, Andrew W., (2006) Positive Psychology «Three Good Things in Life» and Measuring Happiness, Positive and Negative Affectivity, Optimism/Hope, and WellBeing, master thesis, Counselor Education. Master's Theses. 32., New York, p. 5-27.

23. Gable, S. L. & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of General Psychology, 9, 2, p. 103-10 DOI: 10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.103

24. Gorski, Philip (2017), “Human Flourishing and Human Morphogenesis: A Critical Realist Interpretation and Critique", Chapter 2, from bookMorphogenesis and Human Flourishing (pp.29-43) in March 2017, p. 30, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-49469-2_2

25. “Human Flourishing and Human Morphogenesis: A Critical Realist Interpretation and Critique. Available from": https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315860032_ Human_Flourishing_and_Human_Morphogemsis_A_Critical_Kealist_fnterpretation_and_ Critique [accessed 15 November 2018]

26. Kariatlis, Philip, “The Importance of the Eastern Doctrine of Deification of the Theology of Grace" https://www.sagotc.edu.au/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Binder12.pdf

27. Mantzaridis, Georgios (1984). The Deification of Man, trans. Liadain Sherrard Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1984

28. Murphy, N. (2005). “Philosophical resources for integration" In A. Dueck & C. Lee (Eds), Why psychology needs theology: A radical-reformation perspective (p 3-27). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

29. Nikolaos, Metropolitan of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki, “The Greek Orthodox position on the ethics of assisted reproduction" RBMOnline - Vol. 17 Suppl. 3. 2008 25-33 Reproductive BioMedicine Online; www.rbmonline.com/Article/3548 on web 1 October 2008, p. 25-33.

30. Romanides, John Notes on the Palamite Controversy and Related Topics, Greek Orthodox Theological Review, cont. of an article begun in 6m 2 (1960-61), p. 249.

31. Rossiter, Wayne D. (2015). Shadow of Oz: Theistic Evolution and the Absent God, Wipf and Stock Publishers, Eugene.

32. Savvatos, Chrysostom, Bishop of Messinias, “Vertically negative the Church with the gender change legislation" https://www.tharrosnews.gr/news/content/%CE%BC%CE%B7%- CF%84%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AF%CF%84%CE%B 7%CF%82-%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B7%CE%BD%CE%AF%C E%B1%CF%82-%CE%BA%CE%AC%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B1-%CE% B1%CF%81%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE-%CE%B7- %CE%B5%CE%BA%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%AF%CE%B1- %CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%83 %CF%87%CE%AD%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BF-%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B1 %CE%B3%CE%AE%CF%82-%CF%86%CF%8D%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%B2- %CE%AF%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%BF [accessed 6 November 2018]

33. Terezis, Ch. (2018). Orthodox Christian vision on human being and human education, Patras 2018.

34. Whelchel, Hugh, (2014) “Four Defining Characteristics of Biblical Flourishing”, https://tifwe.org/four-defining-characteristics-biblical-flourishing/ [accessed 15 October 2018]

35. https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/martin-seligman-psychology/

Размещено на Allbest.ru