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I saw the "Ask A Catholic" thread and thought it was a neat idea, but then I noticed that the "askee" is no longer a member. So, I would like to give it a whirl if thats okay.

I only ask a couple of things: Please be respectful, and I will be respectful too. Also, I'm a pretty busy guy, so be patient if I don't answer you right away. I promise, I WILL answer. I'm pretty well versed in my faith, but I don't claim to be a theologian. If I cannot answer satisfactorally, I will provide a link to a better answer.

Anthopologically speaking, what is the Catholic view of the make-up of a man?  How would the church define spirit?  soul?  "Flesh" in the Biblical sense?

Quote from: Wycliffes_Shillelagh on Wed Dec 24, 2008 - 21:52:22
Anthopologically speaking, what is the Catholic view of the make-up of a man?  How would the church define spirit?  soul?  "Flesh" in the Biblical sense?

Why don't you ask a hard question. LOL.

First of all: Merry Christmas!!

Next: I don't know if I fully understand the question. However, regarding this part, "How would the church define spirit? soul?", I can say that we do not draw a distinction between spirit and soul. We teach that man has a spiritual soul. Or, as St Thomas Aquinas taught, man has a "rational" soul, as compared to the "sensitive" souls of animals. Let me quote the Catechism on that matter (number references are at the bottom):

(BEGIN QUOTE)
II. "BODY AND SOUL BUT TRULY ONE"

362 The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when it affirms that "then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."229 Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.

363 In Sacred Scripture the term "soul" often refers to human life or the entire human person.230 But "soul" also refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him,231 that by which he is most especially in God's image: "soul" signifies the spiritual principle in man.

364 The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:232

Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day. 233

365 The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the "form" of the body:234 i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.

366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.235

367 Sometimes the soul is distinguished from the spirit: St. Paul for instance prays that God may sanctify his people "wholly", with "spirit and soul and body" kept sound and blameless at the Lord's coming.236 The Church teaches that this distinction does not introduce a duality into the soul.237 "Spirit" signifies that from creation man is ordered to a supernatural end and that his soul can gratuitously be raised beyond all it deserves to communion with God.238

368 The spiritual tradition of the Church also emphasizes the heart, in the biblical sense of the depths of one's being, where the person decides for or against God.239
(END QUOTE)

references:
229 Gen 2:7.
230 Cf. Mt 16:25-26; Jn 15:13; Acts 2:41.
231 Cf. Mt 10:28; 26:38; Jn 12:27; 2 Macc 6 30.
232 Cf. I Cor 6:19-20; 15:44-45.
233 GS 14 # 1; cf. Dan 3:57-80.
234 Cf. Council of Vienne (1312): DS 902.
235 Cf. Pius XII, Humani generis: DS 3896; Paul VI, CPC # 8; Lateran Council V (1513): DS 1440.
236 1 Th 5:23.
237 Cf. Council of Constantinople IV (870): DS 657.
238 Cf. Vatican Council I, Dei Filius: DS 3005; GS 22 # 5; Humani generis: DS 3891.
239 Cf. Jer 31:33; Dt 6:5; 29:3; Is 29:13; Ezek 36:26; Mt 6:21; Lk 8:15; Rom 5:5.


You may want to read the entire section on MAN at this link:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p6.htm

I hope that is helpful

Quote from: Tu Es Petrus on Wed Dec 24, 2008 - 12:23:53
I saw the "Ask A Catholic" thread and thought it was a neat idea, but then I noticed that the "askee" is no longer a member. So, I would like to give it a whirl if thats okay.

I only ask a couple of things: Please be respectful, and I will be respectful too. Also, I'm a pretty busy guy, so be patient if I don't answer you right away. I promise, I WILL answer. I'm pretty well versed in my faith, but I don't claim to be a theologian. If I cannot answer satisfactorally, I will provide a link to a better answer.

Tu Es Petrus, thank you for the new thread.  The original "askee" was highly respected but eventually became a victim of the last major conflict between some of the members of this forum.  You can view some of the threads in this section to see what took place--sad indeed.  However, it is nice to see some new Catholic members.   Welcome indeed.