| Summary: | This research determines the ground for a Christian theological
anthropology that makes provision for a doctrine that supports
human self-realization. It is evident from the study that
anthropological self-realization is an involved process of becoming
truly human, not an isolated course founded solely on the biblical
knowledge of being created in the image and likeness of God. All
sciences, and in particular anthropological sciences, enjoy the
prerogative of unraveling and analyzing the human person. Whether
these sciences are neuro-biological, psychological, theological,
philosophical, biblical, spiritual or mystical in character, each with its
specific method legitimately attempts to explain the complexities of
the human person. In the light of this neither philosophy nor theology
possess the exclusive claim to authentic human wisdom. In truth
most scientific insights have a combined impact on the self-realizing
growth and development of humanity.
The process of self-realization links theology to real life questions such
as evil, suffering, hope, love, justice and freedom, as well as with the
immanent, the transcendent, the human and the divine. This thesis
holds to the opinion that a theology of self-realization would
contribute to the 'humanization' of theology since it brings praxis and
theory into close alignment. This study equally expresses the
conviction that the doctrine of consecrated vowed life, an ecclesiastical
structure in the Roman Catholic Church, is particularly in need of
humanization, as the notion of 'self' as a strength has been notably
absent from traditional treatises on the practices of religious life.
Conventional forms of consecrated vowed life called the woman to
suppress and spiritualize at least some of her femininity. This was due
to the distorted theological anthropology that sustained consecrated
life in which God was presented as an idea to be grasped
intellectually, and not an experience to be lived. === Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology === Th. D. (Systematic Theology)
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