Body and Soul - Truly One
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
Man - Body and Soul (362-363)
Using symbolic language, the Bible says that God willed man to be both corporeal and spiritual. "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" (Gen 2:7).
In Scripture "soul" can mean human life or the entire human person. "Soul" especially means man's spiritual principle.
In God's Image (364)
Animated by a spiritual soul, the human body shares in the dignity of "God's image." The human person, body and soul, is meant to become a temple of the Spirit. In man, the material world can freely raise its voice in praise of the Creator (Second Vatican Council).
Only One Nature (365-368)
The spiritual soul is the "form" of the body. Man is not the union of two natures. In man, spirit and matter form one nature. God creates every spiritual soul immediately. It is not "produced" by the parents and does not perish at death. It is reunited with the body at the final resurrection.
When Paul writes about "spirit, soul, and body" (1Thess 5:23) he used the word "spirit" to mean that the soul has a supernatural goal of union with God. The biblical word "heart" also means the place where the person decides for or against God.
Five riveting true stories by people who have experienced supernatural Warnings. order »
Join the movement! Pray 12 minutes a day to help God save America. order »
Find friends in the world's largest directory of Catholic young adult groups. Learn More »
Our supporters have distributed tens of millions of life-changing Catholic gifts since 1991, making us America's largest producer of high-quality, super-affordable tools for evangelization. Join our work today!
See All Our Catholic Materials
Meet Bud Macfarlane, Our Founder
