Based on such biblical teaching, St. Augustine wrote that humanity is composed of two communities: the City of God, which by God s grace is becoming

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3 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (Jn 15:18-19) You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of humankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (Eph 2:1-5) At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph 5:8-10)

4 Based on such biblical teaching, St. Augustine wrote that humanity is composed of two communities: the City of God, which by God s grace is becoming increasingly Godcentered; and the City of Humanity, which remains human-centered

5 According to Abraham Kuyper, these two cities produce two different kinds of human sciences: one issues from regeneration, listens to Scripture, and is becoming increasingly God-centered, while the other remains human-centered

6 The great challenge facing Christian therapists is that we have been trained in a time when the City of Humanity and its gods and worldview dominate our culture, including its psychology and therapy At the same time, modern/secular psychology has done good work studying human beings but from a thoroughly human-centered standpoint. The Christian community should utilize this work, out of love for God but we have to reinterpret it theocentrically.

7 The capacity, tendency, and often experience humans have of developing their myriad powers of personhood-in-communion to maturity and expression in life. -adapted from Christian Smith, To Flourish or Destruct The outshining of God s internal, Trinitarian greatness, beauty, love, and excellence -adapted from Jonathan Edwards, The End for Which God Created the World

8 The beauty of their persons-in-communion and its manifestation over time God is love (1Jo 4:8) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jo 1:14) And now, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I ever had with you before the world was. (Jo 17:5)

9 How does God s glory outshine? In theophanies In the beauty of creation (incl. culture) In his verbal revelation In the story of the Son of God, Jesus Christ: his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension In the work of the Holy Spirit in his Church as its members flourish according to God s design plan

10 How is being an image of God related to glory? How do humans glorify God? Resembling God in any way How do Christians specially glorify God? Actively receiving God s glory in Christ Conscious awareness and participation Worship, fear, praise, and love of the Trinity above all else (incl. ourselves), and in spite of our suffering The practice of loving others as ourselves Speaking of God s goodness to others

11 Humans alone can participate in his glory But only through union with Christ and his story Then, through growing conformity to him in Christ Analogical likeness: The Form of Christ Through deepening communion with him in Christ Relationship of dependence, intimacy, enjoyment In the depths of God/in transparency Through overcoming personal and social hindrances to glory: Sin, suffering, and damage to created structures Through deepening communion with others in Christ Through work, rest, and play in Christ

12 The Developmental Journey to the City of God/Celestial City Humans in Christ are temporal, so their capacity to glorify God is supposed to increase over time

13 The glory of God is a human alive! Irenaeus Creational development Awareness, memory, emotion, rational Fallen development in self and others? Sin, suffering, weakness/damage Redemptive development Love of God, others, and self As Christians flourish more (become more beautiful), they glorify God more

14 Participating with God s glory in Christ is the apex of human flourishing, intended by God to permeate all of life and promote the fullest human flourishing Worship is the purest of joys We are made for this Better/higher than all creaturely joys This joy carries over into rest of life (bec/ it deals with the core dimension of life) God s glory gives us a sense of peace Living for God s glory reduces sin (which hurts us and others)

15 Meditating on God s beauty is good for our brains It reduces stress, anxiety, depression, promotes physical health The beauty of God wondrously distracts us from our troubles God s glory gives us transcendent sense of purpose/ meaning We flourish by knowing we are not God God s glory makes suffering bearable (e.g. loving a difficult spouse)