New mind

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A NEW KIND OF MIND

"For who has known the nous of the Lord, that he may instruct him, but we have the nous of Christ." ( I. Corinthians 2.16. )

It was claimed by John Locke that at birth the human mind is a ‘tabula rasa’ – a blank slate on which nothing has yet been written. The part of the psyche described by the Greek word nous, (found in this quotation from Saint Paul and normally translated into English - particularly in this gospel quotation) - as 'mind,' is indeed an almost blank slate at birth, and if our 'mind' is to be clear it needs to become blank again - 'save ye become as little children.' But investigation shows that in other ways the nous is not quite the same as our modern idea of mind.

The key to Christian psychological methods is to make changes to the deepest levels of the human psyche. What then is the human mind, what shapes it and in what way can it change? The Greeks of the early church used several related words, particular nous, and psyche. But how can we obtain the 'nous of Christ?' The changed human mind contains something almost absent from the ordinary unawoken psyche, but first, it is our thinking which must change.

In the traditional Christian psychology, it is the nous – the eye of the psyche – where the most important changes must occur: particularly a change described in the Greek word metanoia: change of nous, which is normally translated repentance, as in the famous passage in Mark. "Repent, for the rulership of God is close at hand." (Matthew 3:2.) The Greek word here and in Matthew 4:17 is metanoiete – ‘ change of nous.’

Repentance, or metanoia, is taught as a preparation for our becoming aware of the presence of God. This preparation is the main purpose of Christian ascesis, which is based on the beatitude which says: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

NEW MIND

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PRAXIS PAST

praxis web 4 ARCHIVES

including most of the text articles from praxis Web 4. Main texts are listed with simple descriptions under CONTENTS and more fully under ABSTRACTS

* CONTENTS

* ABSTRACTS

A New Vision

The Ark

Text List

A Different Christianity

Philosophers of God

St. Gregory Palamas

Cross-fertilisation

Abstraction & attention

Lost Doctrines

Lost Christian truths