MОРАЛНО ТЕРАПЕУТСКИ СМИСАО ДИЈАЛЕКТИКЕ БОГОЦЕНТРИЧНОСТИ И ЧОВЕКОЦЕНТРИЧНОСТИ КОД СВЕТОГ ЈУСТИНА ПОПОВИЋА
ТHE MORAL THERAPEUTIC MEANING OF THE DIALECTIC OF GOD- CENTRICITY AND DIVINE-HUMANITY IN SAINT JUSTIN POPOVIĆ

Author(s): Aleksandar Fatić
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy
Published by: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
Keywords: God-centeredness; human-centeredness; humanism; self-development; therapy; God-humanity; nature of God
Summary/Abstract: The paper deals with St. Justin Popovićʼs understanding of humanism as a morally negative concept and his complex dialectic of the concepts of “godliness” and “humanity”. On the one hand, St. Justin sees godliness, or God-likeness, as the ultimate moral ideal of a Christian life. On the other, he represents “humanity- centrism”, or the culture of humanism, as a sort of hedonistic swaying away from the ascetic ideal of Christian character and values. This type of dialectic seems to militate against the concept of dual nature of God, namely the idea of Christʼs divine and human nature at the same time, as two faces of Christ. That idea leads to the concept of a fundamental godliness of human nature, at least in its capacity to develop Christian virtues. However, on closer analysis it becomes apparent that St. Justin uses the concepts of God-centered as opposed to human-centered cultures not as concepts intended to relate to the dual nature of Christ, but as concepts constitutive of an essentially moral therapeutic perspective of building a Christian character in everyday life. This perspective is very much in line with the modern therapeutic conceptualisations of personal development and personal change: however, unlike many modern accounts, St. Justinʼs view of self-development offers a clear framework which helps one to avoid moral relativism and value nihilism.

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