Introduction
In his book New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton states that being a saint means to be oneself. Furthermore, Merton suggests that the problem of sanctity and salvation is related to the process of discovering oneself (Merton 31). The author also explains that God leaves people an opportunity to be whatever they want, unlike trees and animals made by God without consulting with them.
Analysis
The author’s statement touches on three important subjects within theological anthropology. Firstly, it refers to the core concept of ‘person’ in which God created humans with identity and sets people in communities in which people learn to be persons. Furthermore, considering the buffered concept of selves, the author suggests that God separates humans to be different persons without a porous understanding of self. Thus, according to Merton, humans’ primary objective is to discover their true selves. Lastly, the statement explains that fundamentally humans are good by nature, but their self-discovery journey may involve lying to themselves and others, and those who do lie cannot expect to find their true selves.
Conclusion
Therefore, one could agree with the author’s statement from the point of a core concept in theological anthropology. There is a connection between God and humans in which he gave them the freedom in choosing who to become, compared to other living creatures who “are perfectly satisfied” with who they are (Merton 31). Moreover, the author explains that people have the freedom to choose their true identities or display false identities by lying to themselves and others. However, the authors’ suggestion does not reflect the concept of people’s understanding of self in relation to others besides approaching them by showing their true or false identity.
Work Cited
Merton, Thomas. New Seeds of Contemplation. New Directions, 2007.