Death + Afterlife

Question 1

Reward/punishment for moral behaviour, point 1

Answer 1

• Heaven and hell must both be eternal in order to reward/ punish individuals for their moral behaviour – Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16), “now he is comforted here, and you are in agony”/ Thief on the Cross “today you will be with me in paradise” suggests judgement is immediate and based on actions on earth – the bad will receive their “just deserts”; Lazarus found himself in heaven with the righteous, and the rich man in Hades

Question 2

belief in purgatory unjustified counter to reward argument

Answer 2

• Catholic idea of purgatory suggests our destinies are not set in stone; one can work off their sins and be judged again at a later point – Gregory of Nyssa – cleansing in a “purifying fire” (Corinthians 3) before entering KOG

Question 3

belief in purgatory unjustied response

Answer 3

• Protestants argue there is no scriptural authority of it in the Bible – about “justification by faith”, actions or deeds cant put you right! Judged immediately according to our faith on earth.
• Calvin develops Augustine, God is sovereign and nothing happens outside his control (including human choice). God pre-ordains those for salvation, God is knower and chooser

Question 4

calvinist notion incompatible, forgiveness and repentance

Answer 4

• Calvinist notion incompatible with a just God as destinies are not based on chosen acts; responsibility presupposes intention God of love would allow people to work of their sins, redeem themselves, and thus be judged not immediately after death
o Supported by 1 John “he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins… for the sins of the whole world” resurrection was a triumph of life over death
o Supported by 1 Timothy, “God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”

Question 5

whole of creation, community of immortal souls, point 2

Answer 5

• St Paul says that the resurrection was the first sign that the fallen world will be restored/ perfection of the human God relationship, and humans will be able to see and know God more clearly than they do now through this “dark glass”, Catholics describe it as a community of immortal souls (must wait for the end of time for all the souls!)

Question 6

counter to st paul community of immortal souls argument

Answer 6

• When would we go to the redeemed kingdom if not at the moment of death?

Question 7

parousia response

Answer 7

• Parousia – second coming of Jesus where the world is judged and those who have lived a good life will live eternally in a restored Kingdom of God, people who have died are taken to the kingdom also and resurrected “The hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out” (John 5)

Question 8

dante response to parousia

Answer 8

• Dante’s individual journeys – Dante’s story seems to clearly suggest that when we die we go to a physical place of heaven or hell, and our journey to these places is personal and not about the whole of creation.
• OR Issue with literalist understandings of second coming – millenarianism (based on revelation 20), Christ return to earth and rule for 1000 years followed by last judgement, millenarianists positively encourage environmental destruction as a means of hastening the establishment of the KOG…

Question 9

tillich and sartre, symbol of moral life, self-judgement, point 3

Answer 9

• Tillich and Sartre, part of the existentialists, saw Dante’s story as metaphors for psychological and spiritual human experience or alienation from God. Therefore, judgement does not literally happen – instead it is a way of reviewing our faith/ life, e.g. Sartre’s play “No Exit” explains how some are trapped in bad faith. No question of time for judgment, subjective concept.

Question 10

no point to morality if never reach god, sheep and the goats count to tillich and sartre

Answer 10

• The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25) suggests those who actively pursue justice will reach heaven, and those who fail to help others (help god) will be sent to hell; if neither were physical/ eternal places, what would be the point of acting morally

Question 11

barth community of immortal souls response to sheep and goats

Answer 11

• John the Divine suggests heaven and hell are not disembodied states but continuations of the conditions of this world Inaugurated eschatology explains that heaven and hell refer to a present moral state which we should work towards – Jesus explained the “newness” of the Kingdom of God and the need to overcome prejudices on earth. We shouldn’t be looking for rewards, but should follow Jesus’ example out of love of God, on earth. No judgement at death, judgement should be of your own life. Then if there is a second coming of Jesus we will all be fit to go to the redeemed kingdom!
• Karl Barth – election and judgement will only be known at the end time, must focus on moral actions in the present

Question 12

heaven and hell physical states eternal

Answer 12

• Heaven and hell must both be eternal in order to reward/ punish individuals for their moral behaviour – Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16), “now he is comforted here, and you are in agony” suggests heaven and hell are real, physical places – the bad will receive their “just deserts”; Lazarus found himself in heaven with the righteous, and the rich man in Hades

Question 13

spiritual states, heaven as eternal, hell as not

Answer 13

• God which Jesus preached cannot be the God of judgment and exclusion, Overwhelming emphasis of the New Testament is reconciliation with God
o John “God is love” Johns Gospel’s: Jesus’ resurrection is triumph of life over death, not eternal damnation

Question 14

commit yourself to hell, not god’s fault (Catholic notion), response to spiritual states

Answer 14

• Christ sent to earth by God so that everyone is able to have the possibility of eternal life – those who fail to respond to the gospels have chosen to go to Hell
• God elects the righteous but the wicked elect themselves to hell by committing mortal sins “God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a will-full turning away from God is necessary” (Aquinas)
• Deserve eternal suffering, “no end to this exquisite horrible misery” (Jonathan Edwards)

Question 15

hick person making process response to catholic notion

Answer 15

• John Hick: Afterlife is a continuation of the “person-making process”, He believed that after death all people will be able to work their way towards God
• Many immediate states which people pass through on their journey to being finally united with God
• What purpose does it serve to punish someone eternally – earthly existence is a journey of spiritual and moral education, people should be allowed to amend their ways and strive for perfection, as we are all made imago dei

Question 16

augustine limited election argument

Answer 16

St Augustine’s fervent reaction to Pelagian heresy (people born tabula rasa able to earn place in heaven); post-lapsarian Original Sin. God’s grace given as a gift to the elect, sign of his love as no one deserved of beatific vision. Augustine moved from God’s perfect foreknowledge (free choices within this) to believing not only did He know, but He chose who would receive his grace. “those he predestined he also called” (Romans) God is just as grace = extension of his benevolence.

Question 17

omnibenevolent response to augustine

Answer 17

Although Augustine’s argument supports a benevolent God, it does not support an omnibenevolent God as suggested by John, “God is love”. Seems uncompromising, leaving no room for human free will. If Jesus was “the way, the truth and the life” surely humans must be free to choose Jesus and achieve salvation.

Question 18

calvin development of augustine

Answer 18

Calvin develops Augustine, God is sovereign and nothing happens outside his control (including human choice). God pre-ordains those for salvation, God is knower and chooser Calvinist notion incompatible with a just God as destinies are not based on chosen acts; responsibility presupposes intention.

Question 19

divine providence of god, boethius, response to calvin

Answer 19

More coherent to postulate a God who has Divine Providence (Boethius) of all things “simultaneously present”, thus perfect knowledge of free choice; Election would then be just and acts would be freely chosen.

Question 20

barth unlimited election

Answer 20

More coherent approach to election that is compatible with belief in a just God, is that of unlimited election. Karl Barth ‘Church Dogmatics’, wrote of election in terms of choice – God chose to send Jesus, “reconciler of all” into the world, as both the “electing God and the elected man in One”. In this way Election coincides with a just God as salvation extended to all, more optimistic than Augustine and Calvin; some may chose not to respond and thus condemn themselves to hell.
o Supported by 1 John “he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins… for the sins of the whole world” resurrection was a triumph of life over death
o Supported by 1 Timothy, “God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” Barth’s theology overcomes the problem posed by the limitation Augustine’s and Calvin’s placed on human freedom in salvation as all are called, despite only some responding to the gospel.

Question 21

hick response to unlimited election

Answer 21

Nevertheless, one may contend his theology does not completely coincide with a just God, as it is not wholly “unlimited” in the sense that it extends only to those of Christianity, followers of Christ. Due to cultural differences, some will never encounter the gospel, yet still capable of good acts outlined in parables such as Sheep and the Goats and Rich Man and Lazarus. SATG suggests when one helps another, one helps God – when Hindus or Muslims help another, can they not be helping God also?
John Hick, after spending time in multicultural Birmingham, recognised the good committed by a variety of faiths although unlimited election extends salvation to all Xns, still seems not wholly compatible with a just God, as how could such a God exclude equally good people (of other religions) from reaching the Beatific Vision?

Question 22

universalism argument from hick

Answer 22

Having evaluated both limited and unlimited election, one must contend that a universalist approach, ensuring the saviour of all (thus inclusive of all people and all faiths), is most compatible with an omnibenevolent just God. Hick viewed each religion as a different expression of the universal human desire for God – no right or wrong, only different doctrines and practises stemming from cultural difference. Universalism leaves the possibility for those that do good deeds outside of Xnity being seen as reflecting Jesus teaching, even if they are unaware of it.

¬ Support for Hick found in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats Matthew 25, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me” – focuses on actions leading to their salvation, stark contrast with Augustine’s view that people cannot earn own salvation.

Question 23

response to hick, unjust

Answer 23

Incentive for moral behaviour? Seems unjust to not punish and reward accordingly? Although salvation is open to all, those who wilfully turn away from God’s will surely cannot reach Beatific vision.

Question 24

hick new testament god of forgiveness response to unjust

Answer 24

Hick argues New Testament God of reconciliation and forgiveness, resurrection triumph of life over death, spiritual and moral education, not exclusivism and damnation: “viable Christian theodicy must affirm the ultimate salvation of all God’s creatures” .