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Human Flourishing: In Sickness and in Health

July 20, 2013

Audio Recording

Video Recording

I.        Good reasons for distinguishing health and human flourishing:A.        Personal and experiential reasons to distinguish themB.        Moral reasons to distinguish themC.        Theological reasons to distinguish themII.        A theological account of human flourishingA.        Following David Kelsey, Eccentric Existence A Theological Anthropology (WJKP, 2009), human flourishing depends first and fundamentally upon the triune God and upon the ways in which this God relates to us as the One who creates, as the One who draws us toward God’s good future, and as the One who reconciles us when we are estranged from God, from their neighbors, and from the creation.  B.        Human flourishing is enacted in appropriate responses to the triune God who relates to us in these three different but interrelated ways. 1.        “Doxological Gratitude”2.        “Joyous Hopefulness”3.        “Affective Affirmation”III.        Concern for health and care for the sick in the context of human flourishing1.        In the context of doxological gratitude2.        In the context of joyous hopefulness3.        In the context of affective affirmation Conclusion: In doxological gratitude, joyous hopefulness, and affective affirmation we can flourish in sickness and in health, when we need care and when our care is needed.

Keywords:
"Mortality, Death & Dying; Cult of health; Spiritual well-being; Suffering; Chronic illness; Wellbeing; Philosophy of medicine"