Christianity Chapter 1: Christian beliefs - 1.6 Christian Escathology Flashcards
What is Christian eschatology?
Christian beliefs about life after death
What are 3 beliefs about Christian escatology?
- After death, the souls of the good will reunite with god in a wonderful paradise called heaven
- After death, the souls of the wicked go to a place of eternal punishment known as hell
- On the last day, god will raise the dead in bodily form - this is resurrection
Where in The Bible does it teach that all who believe in Jesus will have eternal life?
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’
(John 3:16)
There are divergent Christian views about life after death:
- What is the most common view?
- What do some Christians believe?
- What is a Catholic belief about life after death?
- The most common view is that everyone has an immortal soul that leaves our physical body when we die and goes to God in heaven, or otherwise goes to hell. This view holds that followers of Jesus who die will go to heaven and those who are not followers of Jesus will go to hell. Christians differ on what they think heaven and hell will be like.
- Some Christians believe that Jesus died to forgive all sins, and so everyone (not just Christians) will live forever in heaven. This is called universalism.
- Many Catholics believe in purgatory, where the dead are purified of their sins before going to heaven.
Christians also vary on whether the above happens as soon as people die, or at the end of time, on what Christians call the Day of Judgement.
What is universalism?
Universalism: the belief that because of the love and mercy of God everyone will go to heaven
What are Christian beliefs about Heaven?
Heaven is the place where Christians believe that they will spend the afterlife. It is not described in detail in the Bible, so Christians have different views about what it will be like. Some believe that it is a physical place, whilst others believe it is a state of being spiritually united with God. The Bible teaches that heaven is a place of everlasting peace and joy for those who believe in Jesus:
‘There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…’ (Revelation 21)
What are Christian beliefs about hell?
Many Christians believe in hell, a place of punishment and separation from God. Some Christians do not believe in hell, and instead believe that those who are not followers of Jesus would simply cease to exist when they die. Like heaven, the descriptions of hell in the Bible are not detailed:
‘Those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus … will be punished with everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians)
What are Catholic beliefs about purgatory?
Purgatory is a Catholic belief in a place (or state of mind) where the souls of those who have died go to be purified until they are made clean from their sins and can then go to heaven.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes it in this way:
‘After death they undergo purification’
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030)
However, this is not a view held by Protestant Christians. The 39 Articles of Religion, which is an ancient statement of the beliefs and teachings of the Church of England, believes purgatory is ‘a fond thing vainly invented’ mentioned in
(Article 22, 39 Articles of Religion)
This is a strong criticism meaning they believe it has been made up
They go on to call it ‘Repugnant’ meaning unacceptable
What are Christian beliefs about Judgement?
Christians believe that God is just, fair and merciful. They believe in the Day of Judgement, when God will judge all people according to how they lived their lives on earth and to give them the afterlife they deserve.
‘the dead were judged according to what they had done…’ (Revelation 20: 12)
Christians also believe in the Second Coming, when Jesus will return to earth. This will be the time for judgement and the establishment of God’s kingdom.
What are Christian beliefs about Resurrection?
Many Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead, then they must believe they can look forward to an afterlife. This is the strongest evidence of resurrection for Christians
Therefore, many Christians believe that, at the end of time, God will raise their bodies to life again, as he did with Jesus’ body.
Paul uses the metaphor of buildings to explain what will happen to the body after death:
‘For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.’
(2 Corinthians 5: 1)
In other words, the physical human body eventually dies, but a resurrected body goes on forever.
Why is life after death important for Christians?
- Jesus said that those who believe in him would
have life after death. - Life after death is a reward for faithful people.
- Life after death offers hope for the future.
- Life after death allows Christians to be with God
forever.
