From earliest times, people have puzzled over the human mind. What is it, where is it located and how does it work?. Until the nineteenth century, theories of the mind were mostly conjecture based on introspection and observation of human behaviour. Each philosopher had his own theory.
Christian theologians used scriptural references as well as philosophical arguments to develop their theories of the mind. But given the variety of biblical words translated as "mind", it is not surprising that they often disagreed.
Some saw the mind and body as an indivisible whole, a "soul". When one dies, so does the other. This view can be found in parts of the Old Testament, for instance in Psalm 88. Ironically, it is also the view of many modern atheists, who see the mind as no more than physiological processes which cease at death.
Others had a two-part view of man in which "mind" or "soul" were equivalent terms which distinguished the non-physical, eternal, part of man from the physical body. At death, the body dies but the mind/soul lives on. This view was held by the Greeks in New Testament times, and is found in many other cultures. Rene Descartes was influential in promoting a dualist view of man in renaissance Europe. Whilst it has been adopted by many Christians, it does not have much support from scripture or from science.
A three-part view of man as body, mind (or soul) and spirit is supported by biblical texts such as 1 Corinthians 14: 14-15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23. Those who hold it argue that the mind is affected by both physical and spiritual influences. This tallies with our Christian experience, and does not conflict with what is known from science.
We are all aware that lack of sleep, hormonal changes, drugs, illness and many other physical factors influence our thinking and emotions. Whilst the working of the brain is still poorly understood, there is growing evidence that much of the activity we attribute to our minds is tied to complex chemical and neurological activity in our brains. Any theory of the mind must take these things into account.
What has always been agreed, or at least assumed, is that having a thinking, reasoning mind is an essential part of being human. We are "homo sapiens" - wise man. This assumption has been as true for Christians as for non-Christians. Consider how much of our "normal" Christian life revolves around our ability to think and understand. Repentance, commitment, obedience, prayer, bible study, preaching and teaching all depend to some extent on using our minds.
This raises some difficult questions. If the mind is central to human experience, what do we make of those whose minds are damaged, either before birth or later through injury or disease? Can they live a human life? This question is at the heart of issues such as the abortion of foetuses with Down's syndrome.
Conversely, if computers were to be developed which were able to "think" rather than just process information, (a real possibility), how would we relate to them? What distinguishes the human mind from the minds of animals or inanimate machines?
How do those whose minds cannot understand the gospel relate to God and receive salvation? Over the centuries there has been a great deal of discussion about how children relate to God, even if there has been little agreement. In the case of the intellectually disabled, the brain damaged, the demented and the insane, the question has barely been addressed.
Since the situation of those who have never been able to read, speak or reason is clearly different from those who have "lost" their minds, I will look at the situation of the intellectually handicapped first. In a later paper I will discuss mental illness.
In western societies such as Australia, about 3% of people are moderately to severely intellectually handicapped. Due to medical intervention, fewer children are being born with conditions which cause mental retardation, but those who are born are living longer. There has been a trend away from institutional care to care at home.
Until the nineteenth century, no distinction was drawn between mental illness and mental retardation. Life may have been easier for the mildly retarded in simpler societies than ours. The more severely handicapped were certainly less well cared-for. Since no treatment was available, they were often ostracised and scorned as "the village idiot". If their behaviour was violent or unsociable, they were restrained at home, sometimes in appalling conditions. Where asylums were available, the retarded were housed with the mentally ill.
Whilst madness is mentioned in the bible, there are no direct references to mental handicap. It is likely that the two were not distinguished. It could also be that since mental retardation is often associated with severe physical disabilities,most retarded children did not survive beyond infancy. Some of those described in the New Testament as demon-possessed may have been mentally retarded, but we have no way of knowing.
The belief that all sorts of mental illness was due to demon-possession persisted for many centuries. In the absence of any better explanation, it was perhaps a reasonable though cruel assumption. Martin Luther is said to have recommended that an aggressive mentally retarded boy should be drowned if the evil spirit could not be exorcised from him.
Today we know that genetic abnormalities, injuries to the brain such as viral infections or toxins before birth, and damage during or soon after birth can all cause mental retardation.
Unfortunately, there are still Christians who believe that all (rather than a possible few) cases of mental retardation can be cured by exorcism, with sometimes tragic results. Jesus words about the need for "prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:29), need to be heeded and discernment used.
While the words of the gospel appeal to our intellect, calling for a change of mind (repentance) and commitment to Jesus as Lord, (an act of will), we should never forget that salvation comes to any of us only through God's grace. Otherwise, we would be arguing that it is our own mental activity which saves us, an argument for salvation by works. It is Jesus' death, not our thoughts about Him, that saves us.
We all need God's grace. For those who understand the gospel, action is called for in response to the gift of salvation. It seems unlikely that God would reject some people because they cannot understand human language, or command them to do something which it is not possible for them to do.
Jesus called those who understood his words to forsake all, take up their cross and follow him. He did not ask small children to do anything. He simply blessed them, before commending them as role models for those who would enter the kingdom of God.
The mentally retarded are not necessarily like small children, but many share the small child's lack of hypocrisy and self- consciousness. Although we cannot say for certain that God will save the mentally retarded person, we can surely say that He is able to do so, if He chooses.
How can we possibly answer such a question? If we mean "Can a retarded person relate to God through spoken prayer and bible study", then clearly the more mildly retarded might be able to do so, while the severely retarded cannot. But we have no way of knowing if a person without verbal skills has any understanding of God's word.
Nor can we know what their spirit sees and hears and understands. We are so used to "translating" our spiritual experiences into thoughts and words that we sometimes forget that our primary experience of God is through His Spirit communing with our spirit. I see no reason why God should not be able to do the same with a mentally retarded person.
Apart from direct personal experience of God, we also experience God's presence through our relationship with other Christians. This ought to be as open to the retarded as to anyone else, provided that they are given the opportunity.
Worship which focuses only on reading and speaking the written word can be very elitist. Fortunately many churches now recognise that they have excluded both the physically and the mentally handicapped, usually unwittingly, and have taken steps to be more open to them. Music, touch, movement, colour and even taste are all important elements in helping mentally handicapped people (and others) to become involved in worship and fellowship.
Where Christians have opened their fellowship to the mentally handicapped, the ministry has flowed both ways. For instance, many who have gone to live in L'Arche Communities, (founded by Catholic theologian Jean Vanier), in order to serve "the less fortunate" mentally retarded have found that it is they themselves who need and receive healing. Whilst damaged minds are surely not part of what God planned for his creation, he certainly does not seem to exclude them from his plans for salvation.
By Dr Stella Budrikis
© Copyright 1998