D&A: PURGATORY Flashcards
Who were the two early Christian thinkers that developed the doctrine of Purgatory?
Origen and Augustine.
What does Matthew 12:30-32 state about purgatory, that Pope Gregory use?
“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
What did Pope Gregory see the passage in Matthew as a reference to?
The possibility of forgiveness not only in this age but also ‘in the age to come’.
What did Pope Gregory reason?
That there must be a kind of temporary state after death in which people have the chance to be forgiven.
What is purgatory?
A place or state in which after the death the soul is ‘purged’.
What is purgatory for, according to Catholic teaching?
Some souls are not in a sufficient state of grace to warrant being sent straight to heaven.
What does Catholic teaching states contributes to purgatory?
Prayers of the living can contribute to this cleansing process.
What did Rahner develop?
The doctrine of purgatory in a way that many saw as more attractive.
What did Rahner claim purgatory should be understood as?
A metaphor for the soul’s greater awareness of consequences of sin, in the time between death and the last judgement.
Who tends to reject the notion of purgatory?
Protestant Christians.
Why do Protestants reject purgatory?
Partly because they do not see that it is supported by the Bible, and partly because they think it is contradictory to biblical teaching.
What does Malachi 3:2-4 state about purgatory?
“he will sit as a refiner and purifier … and he will purify.”
What is the main issue for Christians with purgatory?
Jesus’ death was enough to enable people to enter heaven - we should not need to pray for the dead for them to be saved.
