Ruth Paxson on the Tripartite Man

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

RUTH PAXSON

In her book Life on the Highest Plane, Ruth Paxson refers to man as a triune being: “Man, then, is a trinity; spirit, soul, and body are the integral parts of his triune being.” Paxson goes on to explain how the soul was produced by the union of spirit and body; and how it now functions as an intermediary between the two.

When God placed the spirit within the body its home on earth, the union of these two produced a third part and man became a living soul. The soul uniting spirit and body gave man individuality, it was the cause of his existence as a distinct being. The soul, consisting of intellect, emotion and will became the central part, the seat, as it were, of man’s being.

Man, then, is a trinity; spirit, soul, and body are the integral parts of his triune being

The soul acted as the middleman between the spirit and body; it was the bond which united them and the channel through which they acted upon each other. The soul stood thus midway between two worlds: through the body it was linked to the visible, material and earthly; through the spirit it was linked with the unseen, spiritual, and heavenly. (26)