death and afterlife Flashcards
disadvantage of heaven being a spiritual state
-Christians traditionally believe in the resurrection of the body in some way, not just a person’s soul.
biblical reference for heaven being a spiritual state?
- John 14:1-3 ‘my fathers house has many rooms’ could be taken symbolically
advantage of heaven being a spiritual state
-problem of bodily resurrection (continuity, identity) are solved.
biblical reference for heaven being a physical place
-Revelation 21:1-8 ‘I saw the holy city’ and ‘I heard a loud voice from the throne’ suggests physicality as voice and throne are physical things.
what is the Catholic view of heaven as a physical place?
- soul leaves body at death
- soul is reunited with a glorified body to come face to face with God
- it is a state of supreme and definite happiness
- this is the beatific vision
two problems with heaven as a physical place
- you need a physical body for a physical heaven. Dead bodies don’t just go missing from graves and or bodies decay.
- where is it?
what is heaven as a symbol of life on Earth ?
- heaven is now, there isn’t an afterlife.
- challenges idea that heaven is paradise as there is so much violence in this world.
what does D.Z. Phillips say about heaven as a symbol of life on Earth ?
eternal life is a quality of this life, lives morally in obedience to God.
disadvantage and advantage of heaven as a symbol of life on Earth?
disadvantage = means we only have 1 life. advantage = no problems of where heaven is and how to get there and it overcomes the body soul problem
biblical reference to suggest that Hell is a physical place
Revelation - “the lake that burns with fire” . lake is physical so suggests hell is physical
2 disadvantages of hell being a physical place
- where is it?
- punishing people eternally seems unjust just for one bad thing
biblical references to suggest that hell is a spiritual state
- Mathew 25:31-46 “eternal punishment”. eternal suggests spiritual state as physically things can’t last forever.
disadvantage of hell as a spiritual state
if hell is spiritual then how are we suppose to experience pain and suffering without a body
advantage of hell as a spiritual state
if you argue for a body soul separation then hell being spiritual makes sense.
what is the Catholic teaching of hell
- punishment is eternal separation from God
- it is self-exclusion
what is alienation and P.Tillich’s views on it
- he said “heaven and hell must be taken seriously as metaphors for the polar ultimates in the experience of the divine” (God)
- hell is a metaphor for a psychological sense of alienation
- alienation from God would mean a feeling of guilt for not fulfilling your potential
hell as a symbol of life
- hell could represent the negative elements of ones life or of our conscience
- Gregory of Nyssa suggest that hell is a result of the guilty conscience when one comes face to face with God
what is purgatory for Catholics
- another stage of the soul’s journey
- souls are purified before they go to heaven
what do some Protestants argue about purgatory
it is the gap between individuals imperfection at the end of this life
hicks view on purgatory
-makes sense as a way to bridge between our imperfection at death and the perfection of heaven.
particular judgement
gods judgement takes place immediately after death
General judgement
gods judgement takes place at the end of time
biblical reference to suggest that gods judgement takes place immediately after death
Luke 16:19:31 “the poor man died and was carried away by the Angels to be with Abraham”
biblical reference to suggest that gods judgement takes place at the end of time
Matthew 25:31-46 “when the son of man comes in his glory”
limited election
only a few will be saved- God chooses. Only those who have done good and accepted Jesus sacrifice will be saved
Calvin on limited election
- his ideas were taken from Augustine’s
- believed that God had pre-destined those who will have eternal life but not for eternal punishment (single pre-destination)
2 issues raised by limited election
- what determines whether you are saved or not?
- If God has already chosen who will go to heaven what’s the point in being good?
1 advantage of limited election
it is a fair system as only those who deserve to be saved are saved, unlike universalism where everyone is saved wether they are good or bad.
what biblical text can support limited election?
-Matthew 22:14 “for many are called but few are chosen”
unlimited election
all people are called to be saved but there is a chance that no all are actually saved. Jesus brought salvation for the world but not all will accept it
two issues raised by unlimited election
- what happens to people of other faiths?
- what happens to Christians who sin but are still saved?
advantage of unlimited election
a loving God would not only choose a few for salvation
what biblical text can support unlimited election ?
1 Timothy 2:3-6 “God our saviour wants all people to be saved”
explain why Barth argues for unlimited election
- he saw election in terms of choice
- “Jesus is both the electing God and electing man in one”
- Jesus is God so he is the elector, but he is also the elected as he was chosen to be condemned
what biblical text goes against unlimited election
the parable of the sheep and the goats
universalism
everyone will be saved wether they choose to or not. This is because of God’s grave and him being all loving
what 6 issues are raised by universalism
- unjust to save people like hitler
- what’s the purpose of hell
- why follow rules and be good if we’re all going to heaven
- Christianity looses its distinction
- no free will
- weakens Jesus’ sacrifice
advantage of universalism
-there an no problems with what happens to people of other faiths
Different interpretations of what the parable of the sheep and the goats shows
- not those who follow the Torah but those who help others will be saved.
- general judgement ‘ all the nations will be gathered’
- all religions can be saved. Use pluralism to support.
- there idea that there isn’t purgatory
- action towards the poor is more important than Christian theology. Support with liberation theology and orghapraxis
- limited election. Only some will be saved
- persuading people to be good so they go to heaven. Christianity. Actions have consequences
Quote from the parable of the sheep and the goats about heaven and hell
- ‘the righteous will go to eternal life ‘ the others will ‘go to eternal punishment ‘
- ‘eternal’ means everlasting which suggests they are spiritual states as everlasting means it lasts forever, therefore cannot be physical
