Death and the Afterlife EXAM

Question 1

Limited Election

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Scripture supporting the existence of the Afterlife

Answer 2

‘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

Question 3

Criticisms of Limited Election (x2)

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Criticism of Unlimited Election

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Orthodoxy V Orthopraxy

Answer 5

Orthodoxy: Correct belief

Orthopraxy: Correct conduct

Question 6

Arguments for Universal Election (x3)

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Criticism of Universal Election (x4)

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Universal Election (x2)

Answer 8

Everyone achieves salvation, regardless

According to Hick once people die, there is a ‘vale of soul-making’ where people come closer to God

Question 9

Arguments for Unlimited Election (x4)

Answer 9

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’

Question 10

Unlimited Election Scriptural Support (x4)

Answer 10

‘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

Question 11

Unlimited Election

Answer 11

All people have the CHANCE to be saved, but not all ARE

Question 12

Arguments for Limited Election (x4)

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Arguments for the existence of Hell (x3)

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Arguments for the Existence of Purgatory (x2)

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Against the Existence of Purgatory (x2)

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Arguments against the Existence of Hell (x4)

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Purgatory (x2)

Answer 17

‘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

Question 18

Hell (x5)

Answer 18

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