When the Second-Person Perspective is the First: On the Interconnection between Second- and First-Person Perspective regarding an Individual's Self-Relationship and its Theological Consequences

Within Christian theology, the second-person perspective primarily comes into play when it refers to God’s perspective on humanity. In contrast, this article focuses on the second-person perspective as a human perspective and explores its relevance for the development of an individual’s self-relationship. Drawing on insights from developmental psychology, it also argues for an intergenerational and social understanding of human sinfulness and advocates for more systematic-theological attention to childhood and adolescence.

Overall, the article contributes to strengthening an intersubjective view of the self and to deepening one of the many dimensions of human interdependence.