Death and the afterlife

• There is no systematic explanation of the meaning of the resurrection or its consequences for the afterlife but some agreements were made by early writers: 

  • Jesus’ death doesn’t mark the end by the beginning 
  • It was a moment of hope over despair 
  • A moment in which God acted in a mysterious and spectacular way 
• Jesus’ teachings about the afterlife were deeply rooted in Jewish eschatology (theories about ‘end times’). Jews believe that souls are reincarnated in afterlife. 
• Jesus’ resurrection prompted idea of God’s kingdom... 

  • “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near.” 
  • “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” 
  • “There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” 
• Parousia: end times
• The kingdom of God can be divided into three broad interpretations: 

  • An actual place 
  • A spiritual place 
  • A symbol of moral life for Christians 
• “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped; the lame shall leap like a dear, the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.” 
• Inaugurated eschatology: the kingdom of God started with Jesus and is now.  
• “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain. Your faith is also vain.” 
• Implication of physical resurrection for humans.  

  • Peter Geach.  
  • Resurrection is only afterlife.  
  • Cannot be spiritual as person cannot be identified.  
  • People are unity of body and soul (monist). 

  What would it look like?  

  • Naked.  
  • Clothed in finery.  

  Methodius of Olympus - rearrangement of human. E.g. A candle melting, then remodeled without damage.  

  • Peter Lombard – a reconstituted humanity 
  • Everyone is 30 (same age as Jesus) 
• Problems with physical resurrection: 

  • Cremation
  • Evidence of bodily decay 
• Solutions to problems with physical ressurection:

  • Decartes (dualism) 

  “I think therefore I am” 

  • John Hick – replica theory 
  • Supports bodily resurrection 
  • God creates replica of you 
  • Divine action 
  • Logically possible 
• Quotes about heaven:

  “In my father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would not have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”- John 14:2 

  “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” - Matthew 6:20 
• Quotes about hell:

  “Cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and mashing of teeth.” - Matthew 13: 41-42

  “Taking vengeance on them that know not God.” -2 Thes 1:7-8
• Problems with hell:

  • The existence of an eternal hell seems a contradiction of the Christian assertion of the final victory of God over evil. 
  • Eternal damnation has no purpose if the Sinner cannot be reconciled with God following punishment. 
  • A minority of Christians believe that the souls of the wicked are annihilated. (Lack of spiritual evidence). 
  • Hell is mentioned 54 times, but heaven is mentioned 551 times in the Bible. 
• There are three main ideas: 

  • Foretaste of heaven and hell - Ambrose suggested it is a place where the souls wait for judgment. 
  • Probationary school - Origen argued that it was a place where your soul is given the opportunity to perfect itself. Also supported by Hicks and Dante. 
  • Redemption of the whole creation - Gregory of Nyssa's said that both the wicked and the good can enter heaven through purification. 
• “Those who had died without time for works of penance will be purified through fire.” - Origen 
• “He made reconciliation for the dead that they might be delivered from sin.”  -Maccabees 
• • Thomas Aquinas rejected purgatory as: 
  • Lack of scriptural evidence. 
  • Inconsistent with the idea of salvation through faith. 
• Predestination: The belief that God has decided before time he will be saved or not. 

  • Also known as theological determination. 
  • Augustine says those who will be saved require special revelation (see God) to be saved. 
  • This is sola gratia. 
• “The Potter has authority over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for noble purposes and another for ignoble.” - Augustine   
• Calvin's concept of predestination: 

  Total deprivation - Humans are too sinful to go to heaven. 

  Unconditional election – God ‘tweaks’ some hearts so they can go to heaven. 

  Limited atonement – Jesus' sacrifice is only available to some. 

  Irresistible grace - It is by grace alone that people are saved. 

  Perseverance of the Saints - God will sustain faith of a believer. 

  Only 166,000 people will be saved (Calvin is one of them).  
• It implies that God predestined some for eternal damnation, which is not what an omnibenevolent and just God would do.