Moral Theology

and the Human Person

Understanding the
human person

Just as our image of God is crucial in

shaping our moral response to Gods
love, our understanding of the human
person is also important in living a moral
life.
We should consider the various
dimensions of the human person

Made in Gods
Image
The truth that the human
person is created in the
image of God affirms the
sacredness and dignity of
every person.
The human person
cannot be properly
understood apart from
God.

Made in Gods
Image
Being in the image of
God is irreversible.
No form of
discrimination, abuse,
or persecution cannot
remove the inherent
dignity of human
persons.

Made in Gods
Image

Human dignity does not

ultimately depend on
human achievement.
The weak, the sick, the
disabled, the poor,
those in the margins of
society deserve
protection and respect
as much as any human
person.

A relational being
If God is Triune, then
there must also be a
communitarian
understanding of the
person who is in the
image of the
Trinitarian God.
A person cannot exist
by himself/herself but
is always in relation
to others.

An embodied
subject
The human person is a
moral agent with a
certain degree of
autonomy and selfdetermination
empowered to act
according to his or her
conscience, in freedom
and in knowledge.
This implies a respect
for the sanctity of a
persons a conscience.

An embodied
subject
To say that a person is
a subject means to say
that a person must
never be used as an
object or as a means to
an end.
Persons should be
treated as ends in
themselves.

An embodied
subject
Our human bodies are
not simply accessories
to our humanity but are
essential to our identity
and integrity as
persons.
What concerns our
bodies concerns the
whole person; our
bodies are essential to
our humanity and how
we relate as humans.

An embodied
subject
We are obliged to
protect and care for our
bodies as an integral
dimension of our
humanity.
We must be careful that
whatever manipulation
or improvements to our
bodies we undertake
would not undermine or
diminish our humanity
and our respect for the
humanity of others

A historical
subject
We respect the
developmental process
of each person. We
need to consider
persons as persons on
a journey of growth.
Persons can change
and therefore there is
always a chance for
conversion.

fundamentally
equal but uniquely
original
We need to be balanced in
how we make moral norms,
promoting what is common
for all while at the same
time taking into
consideration cultural
differences.
We therefore need to be
open to learning from
various traditions and
cultures to increase our
knowledge about what it
means to be truly human.

Questions for
discussion
What unhealthy ways do we look at our
bodies and how does it shape our moral
choices?
What ways do we as Filipinos judge other
people according to their appearance and
abilities?
How do we look at people who have fallen
into sin or are in immoral situations?

Moral Theology
and the Human Person