Death and the Afterlife

Question 1

Why does the general Christian view reject reincarnation?

Answer 1

The human soul is believed to leave the physical body to live after death but not in a new body on earth

Question 2

What is the Platonistic view and do Christians reject or accept this?

Answer 2

The soul become disembodied and moves to another realm, even though this is similar to the concept of Heaven, most Christians reject this

Question 3

What is the general view of Christians after death?

Answer 3

The body is resurrected and the person is given a new spiritual body after death in a continued existence

Question 4

What’s the difference between resurrection and reincarnation?

Answer 4

In reincarnation, the soul returns to this physical world but in resurrection the soul goes to a spiritual world

Question 5

What are the two types of Jewish belief?

Answer 5

Pharasees - there is a life after death

Sadducees - some believe in resurrection and some believe there is no life after death as the Bible is ambiguous

Question 6

Give a quote from the ‘Death of Abraham’

Answer 6

“Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years and he was gathered to his people”

Question 7

What is the account of Jesus’ resurrection given in Luke 24?

Answer 7

Women went to tomb with spices - No body of Jesus - 2 men stood beside them - “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” - “He has risen” - “The son of man must be delivered over the hands of sinners” - no one believed them - Jesus walked unrecognised with two men and then disappeared from sight when recognised

Question 8

In the past forty years, how many children have given accounts of living a past life?

Answer 8

2,500

Question 9

Give a quote from St. Paul describing how people are resurrected

Answer 9

“God gives it a body as he has determined… the body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable… it is raised a spiritual body”

Question 10

Describe the account of Jesus and Thomas in John 20:24 - 20:29

Answer 10

Thomas said “unless I see the scars of his nails… put my finger in his scars… I will not believe” A week later Jesus stood with Thomas and said “put your finger here… How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”

Question 11

Is resurrection a natural process?

Answer 11

No, it is a gift of God’s grace

Question 12

Describe Aquinas’ beliefs on the soul, human reasoning, telos and how people come to know God after death

Answer 12

• Only humans have a rational soul that survives death
• Human reasoning and reflection is not a physical phenomenon
• Telos = love God, procreate, educate and avoid evil but an animal’s telos is only to procreate
• Live by faith to know God after death

Question 13

What is the general and biblical view of Hell?

Answer 13

• “Burning sulphur”
• Eternal separation from God
• Eternal pain and punishment

Question 14

What criticisms have been given in response to the Christian concept of Hell?

Answer 14

• Incompatible with omnibenevolence

- Punishment is only to teach a lesson so there is no reason why God would cause this infinitely

Question 15

What is Hick’s view of Hell?

Answer 15

Hell is only a concept to scare people into social conformity as this is incompatible with an all-merciful God

Question 16

What is Hume’s view of Hell?

Answer 16

A finite sin will never deserve infinite punishment

Question 17

Why does the Christian concept of Hell reinforce the inconsistent triad?

Answer 17

In Genesis, Lucifer falls as an angel to Hell from which he tempts Eve into sin, if God was omnibenevolent he wouldn’t condemn to eternal pain. If God was omniscient he would have stopped or foreseen Lucifer’s betrayal.

Question 18

What is a commonly held belief among most monotheistic religions in regards to purgatory?

Answer 18

There is some form of judgement after death

Question 19

Give a quote from Luke 16, in which Jesus describes Heaven

Answer 19

“In my father’s house there are many mansions… I am going there to prepare a place for you”

Question 20

What is the generally held Christian belief of Heaven?

Answer 20

• Where God lives on a throne surrounded by angels
• A city of gold and perfection
• No pain, suffering or death

Question 21

Describe Bernard William’s views on eternity

Answer 21

• Heaven would become boring
• Eternity to perfect every skill if we had perfect bodies without limitation
• Pleasure of living comes from making decisions to feel pride with limited time

Question 22

Give two criticisms of Bernard William’s views on eternity

Answer 22

• Boredom is a type of suffering which is non-existent in Heaven
• Boredom is not possible because there is infinite wonder and truths to learn about God

Question 23

Give a quote from Revelation 21.8 describing Hell

Answer 23

“They will all be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”

Question 24

Describe Dante’s views of Hell

Answer 24

A physically, spiritually and mentally a terrible place for those with no faith, he records the sign over the gate of Hell “Through me the way into woeful city… to eternal pain, abandon hope all ye who enter here”

Question 25

Describe Paul Tillich’s view of Hell

Answer 25

• symbolic so not a physical place but a state of being
• self-possessed by those who refuse to see beauty, purpose and joy
• alienation from truth and God

Question 26

Describe the Roman Catholic’s view of Hell

Answer 26

• those who commit mortal sins
• to die in sin without seeking God’s grace or forgiveness to be separated forever
• self-selective and not a result of a vindictive God

Question 27

How does Pope Gregory the 6th describe Purgatory?

Answer 27

• A Catholic teaching that allows for forgiveness after death to be a temporary state in which people can seek redemption from sin and the soul is purged.
• Prayers from the living can help the dead to transition but can be started in life through purification and confession

Question 28

What does Karl Rahner believe about purgatory?

Answer 28

A metaphor for the soul’s awareness of the consequences of sin between death and the last judgement therefore a self-inflicted pain to allow people to understand the full meaning of grace

Question 29

How do most Christians believe you can enter Heaven?

Answer 29

By faith and good deeds e.g. a person who goes to Church but does nothing for others cannot have entry and also a person who does good deeds for others for a selfish cause to get themselves to Heaven will not enter.
Others believe that a loving God would not punish good people for their beliefs

Question 30

What is an anonymous Christian?

Answer 30

Someone who doesn’t regard themselves to be Christian but spends their life living by Christian values

Question 31

What would Kant’s position be on doing good for the reward of Heaven?

Answer 31

The only good comes from doing good for the interests of others, self-interest and motivation despite a good outcome for others is not morally good

Question 32

What does the Evangelical Church teach about the afterlife?

Answer 32

Heaven, Hell and Purgatory are all literal places because Jesus’ physical body went to Heaven

Question 33

What does the Lutheran Church teach about the afterlife?

Answer 33

Christ will appear on the day of judgement to raise the dead and give godly and election to eternal life and joy but the ungodly will be condemned to infinite torment

Question 34

What is ‘predestination’ and who invented this idea?

Answer 34

The belief that God chooses our eternal destiny before we are born, introduced by John Calvin

Question 35

What does Augustine believe election is? Who opposes this and why?

Answer 35

Election is limited and so only a few Christians will be saved
John Hick - election is universal and every person has the right to be saved

Question 36

When does Jesus say judgement takes place in comparison to the book of revelation?

Answer 36

Jesus - immediately after death as he stated on his crucifix
BoR - the end of the world when Christ returns and all people will be judged

Question 37

What is the difference between Aquinas’ view and the book of revelation when discussing the afterlife to be eternal?

Answer 37

Aquinas - timeless moment of perfect blissful happiness

BoR - occur in time in a sequence of moments and events

Question 38

What is ‘Parousia’?

Answer 38

A term to describe the returning King and second coming of Christ

Question 39

What is the Protestant objection to Purgatory?

Answer 39

No Christian can buy their way to salvation through any action and the selling of indulgences to get people to Heaven by the Roman Catholic Church is immoral as a way of buying redemption.