The soul also bears and reflects the Imago Dei, the image of God. The soul is that which confers upon human persons inviolate and inestimable value and worth. The soul grounds human dignity.
A third thing we mean when we say "soul" points to the eschatological horizon of human life.
What do I mean by "eschatological horizon"?
Throughout Christian history, most believers have assumed the soul to be immortal and that, after death, the soul would be judged to face either eternal life or punishment. This collection of ideas is what I mean by human persons having an eschatological horizon. Specifically, saying "soul" points beyond biological life to consider our final destiny and end. Saying "soul" specifies our teleology, what we are here "for." Saying "soul" also has a critical aspect, asking us to evaluate and weigh the moral quality of our lives.
Now, I don't want to get bogged down in getting specific about any of this. We can debate if the soul is immortal or not. We can contrast a Platonic vision of the soul with a more embodied vision. We can debate Judgment Day, heaven and hell. For this post, I just want to name the fact that, setting doctrinal debates aside, when we say "soul" we are thinking eschatologically about human persons and our lives.
Minimally, this is what I think it means to view ourselves eschatologically.
First, to view yourself eschatologically is to believe that you have come into existence for a reason and that your life has an ultimate destiny. As I said above, having a soul means human life is teleological. Human life isn't due to chance, accident, or happenstance.
Second, having a destiny, being here for a reason, means that it matters what you do with your life, morally speaking. Having a soul doesn't just mean that your life is precious and that you shouldn't waste it or throw it away. Having a soul means that your life has moral weight and significance. Set the idea of Judgment Day aside for a moment. Saying you have a "soul" means that you can "lose your soul," that you can live an evil life. Conversely, you can also live a good life, and by good I mean morally good. You can be counted as child of light (1 Thess 5.5). In short, when we say "soul" we are naming the moral quality of your life, a quality that is connected to your ultimate destiny.
Maybe you believe in heaven or hell, or maybe you only believe we leave behind a "moral echo" that ripples through time, the consequences of our actions outlasting our lives, for good or ill. Either way, when we say "soul" we are pointing to this eschatological aspect of human life. Human life exists for a reason, a reason rooted in a moral drama that persists beyond the temporal bounds of biological existence. Having a soul means all of life is lived facing and moving toward an eschatological horizon.
