7 - The relevance of history and Christology

Summary

The concept of ‘person’ has a long and complicated history in both theology and philosophy. J. S. Mill's comments on the tendency of ‘names’(= words) to change their significance with the passing of time are relevant. If usage changes radically, he notes, the name ‘can only be made serviceable by stripping it of some part of its multifarious denotation’. This is not the only option, however, especially when accretions enrich or deepen earlier usage, as Mill also notes: ‘whoever seeks to introduce a more correct use of a term with which important associations are connected, should be required to possess an accurate acquaintance with the history of the particular word’.1 From our inquiry into the history of the concept, we aim to show how an understanding of that history can, in fact, throw light on some of the present problems associated with the concept. We shall consider and give some support to the unpopular thesis that ethical judgements, even if not directly derivative from world views (which may themselves form part of an ethical stance), are closely related to overall views of human nature or the world. We aim to show how concepts of person, by virtue of their reference to an understanding of human createdness in the image of God, can play a significant role in the process of ethical justification. Attention is drawn to the role of religious and theological views in overall assessments of human nature and the world.