Abstract
By means of a classically oriented analysis of the soul of Christ, the Note highlights some consequences regarding human nature in general and the relationship between Christ and Christians. By virtue of having been assumed by the Word, human nature is elevated, not eliminated. Although in Christ this nature possesses certain characteristics that are not found in other men (in particular the absence of any sin and above all the hypostatic union with the divinity), the fact remains that in Jesus there is a human nature like ours. Consequently, even if exalted by the union with God in the Word, the spiritual faculties of the soul of Christ act in a truly human way, although under the influence of a unique and unrepeatable fullness of grace. This helps to explain, on the one hand, certain aspects of the classical theological treatment regarding the Subject (I) of Christ and his soul; while, on the other, it provides a consistent foundation for the spirituality of the imitation of Christ.