Death and afterlife Flashcards
Aquinas on Heaven
human beings have souls which are different from other creatures. Other life forms’ souls die when the body dies but we have a rational soul which enables life after death.
The beatific vision is a timeless moment rather than length of time which stretches onto infinity. Escapes from problem that heaven would be boring as there would no before or after.
Bible reference on heaven
Jesus had physical body after Resurrection that ascended to heaven so it must have gone to a physical place.
Biblical descriptions of heaven: physical place full of angels. It must be everlasting length of time because Bible refers to activities in heaven such as singing God’s praise or learning about God. Singing and learning take place in time i.e. one note follows the next, new piece of knowledge is added to another
Hick on heaven
Hick argues for universal salvations and believes an eternal hell would contradict Christian concept of a benevolent God. Is any sin so bad that it deserves eternal punishment?
Pope John Paul II on Hell
The Church has condemned no one to hell, not even Judas, it is God that decides. However, the God of love is also the God of justice.
Augustine on Hell
Augustine: we have all failed to live in God’s image and likeness and all deserve eternal punishment in hell.
Mark 9:47–48 was does Jesus warn
better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched”
What is dantes vision of hell
Hell is utterly dysfunctional state created at moment of Jesus death
What is purgatory
The doctrine of purgatory is a Catholic belief which originates in early Christian thinkers such as Origen and Augustine and is developed in the sixth century by Pope Gregory.
What does Matthew say about purgatory
Matthew 12:30-32 – “every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven … in this age or the age to come” This implies there is the possibility of being forgiven not just in this life but after death.
Pope Innocent IV about Purgatory
Pope Innocent IV: “the souls … are purified after death and can be helped by the prayers of the Church.”
What does Calvin say about purgatory
Calvin: Little biblical basis for purgatory and undermines teaching about God’s saving grace Jesus’ sacrifice on cross sufficient to defeat sin, enabling people to go straight to heaven if they are accepting Jesus’ salvation.
What does Augustine say about electio
Augustine: people born with original sin and everyone shares in the sin of Adam (seminal presence)
No one can earn salvation, God chooses who will receive his saving grace and be saved from Original Sin.
Limited
What does Calvin say about election
Calvin: God in absolute control of everything and predestined some people to eternal punishment and others eternal life with God
limited
What does Barth say about election
Barth: salvation available for everyone who has faith in Jesus. Christ’s salvation for whole world. Challenges idea people are only saved if God chooses and not through people’s own efforts. Jesus both the ‘electing God’ and the ‘elected man’.
unlimited
Hick on universalist election
Hick: salvation available for everyone because God is a God of love. Afterlife will provide further opportunities to develop faith in God. Different religions are different expressions of the same universal desire for God
