It is a privilege to welcome Dr. Donald DeMarco to the HLI Ameria family as a Senior Fellow of HLI America. A member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, author of 22 books, and long-time teacher, Dr. DeMarco is a wonderful addition to our pro-life and pro-family apostolate. As guest columnist for today's Called and Encouraged he kicks off the new year by reflecting on the true meaning of the phrase, "Culture of Life."  Enjoy!  

Arland K. Nichols

National Director                                                                          

Donald DeMarco

by Donald DeMarco, Ph.D.   

We are all familiar with the expression "Culture of Life." Familiarity, however, does not always translate into understanding. What does "life" mean in this context? Is it intended to refer to an openness to a super-abundance of life in every form? Is it something qualitative, corresponding to a high quality of life? Does it refer to vitality, vibrancy, vigor? Or does it refer to life in some theoretical sense?
 
Perhaps taking a step back would be helpful for us to come up with an answer to this important question. Our English word, "life," is not very helpful. We have stretched the word to cover too much, and in so doing, have lost sight of its various refined meanings. It has been said that the Greek language is much more suitable for making philosophical distinctions than English. In the interest, then, of pin-pointing the exact meaning of life as it is used in the expression "Culture of Life," let us examine three words the Greeks used to denote three different meanings for the word "life."

First there is bios which refers to physical life, as evidenced in the word "biology." This is the life that pulsates within any individual organism. Without this form of life, an organism ceases to function. The "Culture of Life" demands more than a group of members of the human race who are simply alive.

The second meaning for life in the Greek language is psuche, referring to the life of the soul or mind, as appears in "psychology." Again, "Culture of Life" demands more than a group of living people who have consciousness. Life in this very limited sense is hardly something that could inspire and animate people.

The third meaning for life is zoe. Although the words "zoo" and "zoology" are derived from this word, the original meaning in the Greek language is far richer. What zoe means, essentially, is life that is shared, life that can be communicated from one person to another through knowledge and love. Zoe life transcends individual life.

It is zoe that lifts us out from our self-contained solitude. In the Gospel of St. John, it is used to refer to divine life, which is God. St. John is writing about a form of life that goes far beyond and is far richer than biology and psychology: "In Him was life [zoe], and the life [zoe] was the light of men" (1:4). This is, I believe, closer to the proper understanding of life as it appears in the expression "Culture of Life."

How great is the difference between bios or psuche and zoe? For C. S. Lewis, the difference is equivalent to the difference between a photograph and a person, or a statue and a real man. "We are statues," he states in Mere Christianity, "and there is a rumor going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life (zoe)."

On the level of mere bios or psuche, we may be compared to bird's eggs. But an egg, of any kind, cannot go on indefinitely being a mere egg. It must be hatched or go bad. So, too, we must be "hatched" (transformed through zoe) so that we can become what we are destined to become, full human beings who share with each other the richness of our knowledge and love.

A "Culture of Life," then is a culture in which the dominant characteristic is one of people fully alive and sharing their lives with each other. This meaning of zoe is most clear in a Christian context, though it is not limited to Christianity. In his book, The Way to Jesus Christ, the now Pope Benedict XVI puts the matter as follows: