Death and the Afterlife EXAM Flashcards
Limited Election
The belief that only a few Christians will be saved, those who God has chosen
EKLOGE: Those who have been chosen or called on by God for eternal life
Scripture supporting the existence of the Afterlife
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever believed in him, shall not die, but have eternal life’ – John
Criticisms of Limited Election (x2)
Scriptural support for unlimited election
Not coherent with a Christian God for virtuous people to be condemned because there is only so many rooms in Heaven, or they did not get God’s grace
Criticism of Unlimited Election
Unless Karl Rahner’s ANONYMOUS CHRISTIANS exist, unlimited election is unfair, as not everyone has the Bible and you need to believe in Jesus to go to Heaven
Orthodoxy V Orthopraxy
Orthodoxy: Correct belief
Orthopraxy: Correct conduct
Arguments for Universal Election (x3)
John Hick argues that an omnibenevolent God would save everyone, regardless of their beliefs
Not everyone has access to the Bible, so it is unfair to damn people eternally. (They could be Rahner’s ANONYMOUS CHRISTIANS, but will lack orthodoxy as they do not believe in Jesus (‘whoever believes in him…’)
Eternal punishment is neither purposive or educative, so would not be used by an omnibenevolent God
Criticism of Universal Election (x4)
Cardinal Ratzinger argued that universal election could not be the case, as otherwise Jesus’ crucifixion would have been pointless
No scriptural support
Arguably unjust to put wicked and virtuous people in the same place as it means actions lack consequences
Hick’s ‘TRANSCATEGORICAL GOD’ is patronising to other religions, as it deems them as a cultural expression rather than genuine and serious beliefs
Universal Election (x2)
Everyone achieves salvation, regardless
According to Hick once people die, there is a ‘vale of soul-making’ where people come closer to God
Arguments for Unlimited Election (x4)
Scriptural support x4 (John, Matthew, Luke and John)
Pelagius’ salvation by merit is a form of unlimited election and is JUST
Karl Barth argued that Jesus died precisely so that everyone had a chance at salvation, and this is supported in John
St Cyprian of Carthage state ‘Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus’
Unlimited Election Scriptural Support (x4)
‘No one comes to the Father, except through me’ - John
‘Many are invited, but few are chosen’ - Matthew
‘Do your best to go through the narrow door; many will try to go in, but will not be able to’ - Luke
‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him, shall not die,, but have eternal life’ – John
Unlimited Election
All people have the CHANCE to be saved, but not all ARE
Arguments for Limited Election (x4)
God’s omniscience means that there is PRE-DESTINATION, so some people are fated to achieve salvation while others are not
John Calvin’s interpretation of Revelation means that 144,000 people will be ‘sealed’ in Heaven
St Augustine thought that only those with God’s grace could achieve salvation, as humans have a ‘divided will’ . Salvation by grace.
Scripture, such as Saul on the Road to Damascus in Acts shows how grace is necessary for salvation
Arguments for the existence of Hell (x3)
Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. ‘These then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life’ - Matthew
The Richman and Lazarus LUKE
Hell is JUST
‘For mortal sin, which is contrary to charity, a person is expelled forever from the fellowship of the saints and condemned to everlasting punishment’ - Aquinas
‘As for the cowardly and faithless, their destination will be the lake that burns with fire and sulphur’ - Revelations
Arguments for the Existence of Purgatory (x2)
In Revelation it states that ‘nothing unclean shall enter Heaven’, so it makes sense that there is a period of cleansing
Purgatory fits with the idea of an omnibenevolent God, as it is informative and purposive
Against the Existence of Purgatory (x2)
Purgatory is never explicitly mentioned at any point in the Bible
Purgatory was invented by the Catholic Church to make money from indulgences and makes Hell redundant
Arguments against the Existence of Hell (x4)
Eternal punishment cannot be educative or reformative, so cannot be purposive, so is not coherent with an omnibenevolent God
Friedrich Schleiermacher thought that knowledge of the misery of Hell would taint a human’s experience of Heaven
If Hell is a physical place, then it requires a physical location and such a location has yet to be found
If, as Pope Francis believes, purgatory and the BEATIFIC VISION means that Hell is empty, there seem to be no reason for the existence of Hell
Purgatory (x2)
‘After death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven’ - Catechism
In Revelation it states that ‘nothing unclean shall enter Heaven’, so it makes sense that there is a period of cleansing
Hell (x5)
Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. ‘These then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life’ - Matthew
Dante theorised of a physical place of punishment
Hell is also known as Hades or Gehenna
Perdition: State of eternal punishment
‘For mortal sin, which is contrary to charity, a person is expelled forever from the fellowship of the saints and condemned to everlasting punishment’ - Aquinas
‘As for the cowardly and faithless, their destination will be the lake that burns with fire and sulphur’ - Revelations
