Historical-Philosophical Roots of Misunderstood Human Creation

In the history of forming concepts about the human being at the intersection of biology and spirituality, deep historical-philosophical roots can be traced that still influence our understanding of human nature. Initially, the influence of ancient philosophy on the development of Christian theology laid the groundwork for a blend of terminology and categorical concepts. Greek concepts, adapted by Christian thought, did not always immediately acquire a unique meaning, which is why the idea of man’s creation was often perceived as the simultaneous emergence of a biological organism and a unique spiritual entity.

The shift between eras, especially noticeable from the 18th century onward, led to theological views gradually giving way to philosophical orientations. This secular transformation shifted the emphasis from a mystical understanding of creation to explaining the origin of the human through objective, material processes. Such a reinterpretation of traditional concepts of creation supported the idea that the material body and the spiritual element develop simultaneously, although the true essence of the act of creation remains beyond the scope of purely scientific description.

This situation was further compounded by the concept of teleological evolution, which attempted to explain the emergence of the human being through natural biological mechanisms. As a result, the separation between the spiritual element and material evolution was questioned, mixing two levels—the physical and the metaphysical. Thus, historical and philosophical processes—from the interaction with ancient thought to the era of secularization and the influence of evolutionary ideas—played a key role in forming the mistaken understanding of human essence as a simultaneous phenomenon of biology and spirit.

What historical and philosophical factors contributed to the misconception of creation of man together with the organism in Christian theology? Based on the examined materials, several historical-philosophical factors can be identified that influenced the formation of the misconception that the human essence appears simultaneously with the biological organism.

Firstly, Christian theology developed under the strong influence of ancient philosophy. As noted in one source, “Christian theology, of course, is younger than ancient philosophy. When the latter was dying, the young Christian theology was just beginning to mature and strengthen. Now it is indisputable that ancient philosophy gave much to theology…” (source: 548_2735.txt). Meanwhile, the adopted Greek concepts (for example, υποστασις, προσωπον, Latin persona) did not immediately receive a new, unique interpretation for Christianity. As a result, philosophical and theological categories sometimes overlapped, potentially contributing to the erroneous understanding of man’s creation as the simultaneous emergence of both a biological organism and a unique spiritual element.

Secondly, the process of secularization, especially prominent from the 18th century, played its role. A scholarly remark states: “The overall secularization of life has historically led to the loss of theology. Instead, from the 18th century onward, philosophy began to develop. For many decades, it was philosophy that became the primary measure of wisdom…” (source: 1233_6160.txt). The revision of value orientations and the growing influence of philosophical thinking could lead to a reinterpretation of traditional theological concepts of man’s creation, shifting the focus toward objective, material aspects of origin rather than the unique act of God’s creative will.

Finally, the application of teleological evolution to the problem of human origins further exacerbated the situation. As noted, “If the idea of teleological evolution is projected onto the problem of human origins, the picture may appear as follows. Christian anthropology, of course, cannot allow that man in his entirety, i.e. his body, soul, and spirit, could have arisen from an animal, since the mechanism of biological evolution is incapable of giving rise to the immortal human spirit…” (source: 227_1130.txt). This analysis underscored the possibility of explaining the formation of the material aspect of the human through evolutionary processes, while the act of infusing the Divine breath remains unaccountable from a purely scientific standpoint, leading to the erroneous merging of the biological and the spiritual.

In summary, the historical-philosophical factors contributing to the misconception of man’s creation alongside the organism include the influence of ancient philosophy on forming theological concepts, the shift in cultural orientations during the era of secularization, and the spread of teleological evolution ideas that attempted to materialistically explain the physiological aspect of human existence.