death and afterlife

• purgatory 


  temporary state of purification and preparation of the soul before entering heaven
• 3 main approaches to beliefs about heaven, hell and purgatory

  1. place someone goes after death
  2. not places but spiritual states
  3. symbols of a person spiritual and moral life
• Christian denomination that believe in purgatory

  Catholicism : place to be cleansed of sins
• Christian denomination that does not believe in purgatory

  Protestantism : reject the idea and emphasize salvation by faith alone, through grace, as a core belief. purgatory takes away the importance of Jesus dying for our sins
• particular (individual) judgement


  belief that upon a persons death their soul is immediately judged by God
• general (final) judgement 


  believed to take place at the end of time where humanity is resurrected, and God will conduct a final judgement
• Parousia


  Greek for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (at the end of time)
• eschatology

  beliefs about the end of time
• the book of revelation


  this book is particularly eschatological as it provides Christians with guidance about the end of times, emphasizing Parousia, the final judgement, and the defeat of evil, leading to the establishment of God's eternal kingdom
• limited atonement (election) - John Calvin

  God has chosen, in his sovereignty (omnipotence) to elect a special group of individuals for salvation, the rest are damned. Jesus only died for the salvation of the elect and for them to reach heaven. these elect are not judged based of their lives
• unlimited atonement (election) - Karl Barth


  Jesus died without limit (for everyone's salvation) so all of humanity can access salvation however humanity can still reject it
• universalism - John Hick


  belief that all humans will reconcile with god and attain salvation, regardless of religious beliefs and actions during their lives
• Christocentric for Barth 


  gods election is grounded in Jesus who is the elector and the elect. because Jesus was elected, the rest of humanity was also elected (conscious decision by god)
• double predestination


  as there are elected to go to heaven, people must also be elected to go to hell
• Calvinism (TULIP) - John Calvin

  • Total depravity - original sin
  • Unconditional election - elect not chosen based on their life
  • Limited atonement - god = sovereign, he chose those elect
  • Irresistible grace - elect have no choice about being selected
  • Perseverance of saints - elect always be elect (cant be undone)