Hi Dogrelata,
You wrote:
As a starting point I’m curious about whether the soul should be considered as inextricably linked to material existence, i.e. does a person’s soul come into existence only with their corporeal being? If so, does it occur at the moment of conception, or some time later?
Or is the soul something that already exists, waiting to be united with a human body when it eventually arrives on this earth? Or am I completely mistaken in the notion that souls are individual essences, each unique to a single person? Is there any sense in which the soul might be considered a ”global’ essence, with human existence acting as a portal through which to access it?
I hope you won't mind if an ancient governor from Judea join this discussion about what a soul is. :=) :=) The following info are based on my research.
World Book Encyclopedia & Britannica. These reference materials say that the idea of an immortal soul was a Greek idea (from Plato) w/c was engrafted into Christendom's doctrine. The Lion Concise Encyclopedia also confirms this and further says that Biblical soul has different meaning.
If we read the King James Bible the following info will be given us:
1. Genesis chap 1: God said 'let there be creeping SOULS, swimming souls...'
2. Gen chap 2. God formed man out of dust and breathed life giving breathed into him and man became a living SOUL (note that God did not give him a Soul, but that man Became a soul )
3.Jeremiah says that a SOUL has blood.
4. Ezekiel says that a SOUL can die ( Ezek 18:4)
5. A dead SOUL knows nothing. ( Eccl 9:5; Isaiah 30:8)
6. There were 267 (237?) SOULS aboard the ship containing Paul according to Acts.
All these Biblical verses point out that a soul is a physical man--we ourselves. Or, even the physical animals.
Sometimes though the word soul, as used in the Bible, could refer to the life of a person.
Jesus said that this life (SOUL) could be destroyed (not tortured) in hell. He said 'do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot DESTROY the soul (note he did not say TORTURE). But, be in fear of him who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna. This place--Gehenna--was the dumping ground of waste in ancient Jerusalem. It was a fitting symbol of eternal DESTRUCTION because in that place sulfur was added to the fire to DESTROY garbage.
In some other Biblical accounts, the word soul is used to refer to life that can be restored. Two examples are the miracles done by Elijah, and the apostle Paul.
This is my humble contribution to your beautiful topic. Now, whichever you believe--Plato's idea or the Bible--is up to you and the readers.
PJ
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