Frank

Hi Craig,
I was mainly thinking in terms of the Greek anthropology current in Paul’s day, in which the head (kephale) had precedence over the other members of the human body because it was the seat of reason, and so gave direction and purpose to the other members. As for heart (kardia), when used metaphorically of humans, it denotes the center of our intellectual, moral and spiritual life; our inner self; or , if you prefer, our ego, or true person. It’s been a while since I did any thorough study of these terms in the Hebrew and Greek, so if I am in error, I’m sure Cheryl can set us all straight.

But I certainly don’t understand kephale, as hierarchists do, to mean only “authority over,” nor was I seeking to validate their view of hierarchy of authority in the Church. However, if the head, as the Greek philosophers believed and taught, is the seat of reason and gives direction and purpose to the rest of the human body, I don’t believe my understanding of Paul’s head and body analogy is too far off base.