Development of Christian Thought - Death and the Afterlife Flashcards
1
Q
What 3 things can Jesus’ teachings on the Kingdom of God be interpreted as?
A
.An actual place
.A spiritual state
.A symbol of the moral life for Christians
2
Q
Explain the Kingdom of God as a present, actual state
A
.a call for moral and spiritual reform
.presented in the gospels
.Jesus’ parables and moral example emphasizes that now is the time to overcome racial prejudice, discrimination and the failings of established religious practices
3
Q
Why is the purple significant in the rich man and Lazarus parable?
A
A royal colour
4
Q
Why is the mention of Abraham significant in the rich man and Lazarus parable?
A
Founding father (patriarch) of Judaism
5
Q
Why is the mention of Hades significant in the rich man and Lazarus parable?
A
Greek word for hell
6
Q
What is meant by ‘they have moses and the prophets’ in the rich man and Lazarus parable?
A
The Torah and the teachings within (ten commandments)
7
Q
What does the parable of the rich man and lazarus reinforce?
A
reinforces the message that the Kingdom is something Jesus taught
8
Q
Define eschatology
A
discussion of end times/judgement in theology
9
Q
What is Jesus’ eschatology? What does he preach?
A
Jesus’ eschatology is traditional and he preaches that the future Kingdom is a state where the righteous live in perfect harmony with God in a redeemed world
10
Q
What does St Paul say about the future heavenly state?
A
St Paul says that before Christ humans were only able to see the future heavenly state dimly or through a ‘dark glass’ but now it is possible to glimpse that the future will be like ‘clearly’
11
Q
What does john the divine say about the future heavenly state?
A
Jesus’ sacrificial death has washed away sin so that the righteous may live in New Jerusalem and experience the joy of God’s presence
12
Q
Who is john the divine?
A
Author of the book of revelation
13
Q
Isaiah 25:5-6, KoG as a present, actual state
A
’Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.’ Isaiah 25:5-6
14
Q
Jeremiah 12:1, KoG as a restoration of Justice
A
‘Why does the way of the guilty prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?’
15
Q
Jesus response to Jeremiah 12:1
A
Jesus argues that the wicked have enjoyed their ‘reward’ ad so as a matter of Justice will be excluded from the future Kingdom
16
Q
What parable is commonly referred to to illustrate the KoG as restoration of Justice
A
Richman and Lazarus found in the Gospel of Luke
17
Q
What was one of the main purposes of the Rich man and Lazarus?
A
One of the purposes of the Richman and Lazarus was to challenge the common belief that being wealthy and powerful on Earth was a sign of God’s blessing
18
Q
What did Jesus preach that got you rewarded in the afterlife?
A
Jesus preached that it was charitable deeds and God’s grace that determined just treatment and reward in the afterlife not necessarily success in life
19
Q
Some scholars beliefs around a different intepretation of the Rich man and Lazarus
A
Some scholars have also suggested that the rich man nay have meant to be a wealthy Sadducee. The Sadducees were Jewish priests who maintained the temple in Jerusalem. They did not believe in the afterlife. The story can be interpreted, therefore, as a way of challenging Jewish non-belief in the afterlife during Jesus’ lifetime.
20
Q
Summarise the KoG as a present, actual state
A
Jesus has given us teachings to bring about spiritual reform
21
Q
Summarise the KoG as a future, actual state
A
The Kingdom of God will arrive at the end of the world when the righteous reunite with God in the ‘New Jerusalem’
22
Q
Summarise the KoG as a resurrection of Jesus
A
We are rewarded with the Kingdom of God if we live our lives with kindness and obedience to God
23
Q
What are Jesus’ teachings on eschatology deeply routed in?
A
Jewish eschatology
24
Q
What is pharisaic judaism?
A
the most popular strain of Jewish thought in Jesus’ lifetime
25
What did Pharisaic Judaism teach about the death?
the dead were resurrected in the afterlife
that the soul was immortal
that the souls of good people would be reincarnated
whereas the souls of wicked people would suffer eternal punishment
26
What was central to Jesus' understanding of his own resurrection?
.it would prompt God to establish a new world order/kingdom
| .This is while the saints, martyrs and his followers would be guaranteed a place in this new kingdom
27
Mark 1:14
'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near'
28
Mark 9:1
'Truly i tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power'
29
Luke 11:20
'But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you'
30
What does Mark 1:14 suggest the KoG is?
A future, actual state
31
What does Mark 9:1 suggest the KoG is?
Future, actual state and restoration of justice
32
What does Luke 11:20 suggest the KoG is?
A present, actual state
33
In Revelations it says ‘God’s dwelling place is now among the people’ , what does this mean?
God will live with his people
34
In Revelations it says ‘The new Jerusalem’ , what does this mean?
the Kingdom of God (KoG)
35
In Revelations it says ‘The Alpha and the Omega’ , what does this mean?
First and last letters of the Greek alphabet, God is eternal and so is the new Jerusalem
36
In Revelations it says ‘Those who are victorious will inherit all this … the idolaters and all liars’ , what does this mean?
It is talking about the restoration of Justice
37
What is the role of Parousia?
the arrival of Christ after the resurrection – his role is to judge the world and select those who have lived a god life to live eternally in the world, now restored and renewed by God
38
What did many early Christians think about a new era based on some passages from the New testament?
.Some passages in the New Testament suggest that many early Christians thought that they were living on the threshold of a new era
.They seem to have expected the resurrected Jesus to return shortly and herald in the new glorious state
39
What is millenarianism and who is it central to?
.Millenarianism is the belief in a future (and typically imminent) thousand-year age of blessedness, beginning with or culminating in the second coming of Christ. It is central to the teaching of groups such as Adventists, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses
40
Mathew quote about who gets what in the kingdom of God
‘Those who are first in this life will be last, and the last will be first’
41
Summarise the parable of the sheep ad goats
.When the time comes Jesus, king of heaven, is going to judge us all
.Jesus will let the people that helped others into heaven (sheep)
.But banish those that did not help others to hell (goats)
42
What is the key message of The Parable of the Sheep and Goats
.Do good in this life and help people now as there is no going back on your actions
43
What does The Parable of the Sheep and Goats teach about heaven
.People who go are blessed
.They receive an inheritance (presumably not money, but a metaphor for the kingdom)
.Only achievable if you are good in this life
44
What does The Parable of the Sheep and Goats teach about hell
.Cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels
.Didn’t help people and did bad in this life so are punished
45
Why is Jesus referred to as son of MAN
shows his authority but also his human aspects
46
What does The Parable of the Sheep and Goats suggest about the KoG
is a future state and a restoration of justice
47
What is Jesus acting as in the parable of the sheep and goats? How is he going about doing this?
Jesus is acting as a judge, judging who is good and who is bad
Being able to tell the difference between sheep and goats is very difficult, Jesus is not judging based on appearance, but rather what is within them
48
What does the parable of the sheep and goats teach about being good?
To be good means to be a good person and do good and make good relationships with other people, help the poor and needy
You can’t just help for a reward, it has to be for good
49
When is the time to take action according to the parable of the sheep and goats?
There is no going back on actions – now is the time to help others
50
Define predestined
before you’re born your fate has already been decided
51
Define good works
charity and being kind
52
What is the traditional jewish teaching on the afterlife
Traditional Judaism has no specific teaching on the afterlife
53
What is sheol in the hebrew bible
.In the Hebrew bible, Sheol is a place of darkness to which all the dead go, both the righteous and the unrighteous, regardless of moral choice in life, a place of stillness and darkness cut off from life but no God
54
Psalm 139:8 and meaning
‘If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold you are there’, meaning no matter where you go God is there
55
What are the inhabitants of Sheol like
The inhabitants of Sheol are the ‘shades’ (rephaim), entities without personality and strength
56
Does the Tanakh reference existence after death?
The Tanakh has few references to existence after death
57
Where do any notions of resurection of the dead appear in the bible?
Daniel 12 and Isiah 25-26
58
What do Orthodox Jews believe about Gehenna
Orthodox Jews believe that punishment in the form of the modern concept Gehenna, is not a punishment but rather an act of purification
59
Where does Dante give his account of hell, purgatory and heaven?
Divine Comedy (1308)
60
Dante Aligieri basic life facts
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was born in Florence, Italy and was a statesman and poet
61
What does the Divine Comedy desribe?
Dante's journey through Hell, purgatory and heaven guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil
62
Who is Dante's theology indebted to?
Thomas Aquinas
63
Describe the Circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno
.As you go down the punishments get worse, from not being in God’s presence to having continuous rain to being placed head first in holes with their legs exposed and burnt
.Lust is at the top and treachery at the bottom
.Each section is for each sin but holds many different types of sinners (the violence layer holds suicide, blasphemers and more)
64
What does Augsutine say about the parable of the sheep and goats?
.God has predestined those who have ben saved, and those who have been condemmed
.It is Gods grace that saved them
.The sheep and the goats are born that way, they cannot change species
65
What does Pelaius say about the parable of the sheep and goats?
.It is definite proof that it is good work that saves us
| .Jesus lists criteria that the faithful have followed in order to achieve salvation
66
James 2:26
'As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead'
67
Matthew 13:50
'And throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth'
68
Revelation 19:20
'But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf. With these signs, he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur'
69
Matthew 5:29
'If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your whole body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell'
70
Explain Matthew 13:50
Hell is a physical place, fire, lots of pain, sounds scary
71
Explain Revelation 19:20
Hell is a physical place, fire, lots of pain, sounds scary, really gory and terrifying, beast is the devil, false prophet has led many down the wrong path, the people who don’t follow God will be punished
72
Explain Matthew 5:29
Hell is not a physical place but more a state, something spiritual?, it is better to lose your bad parts (of your life or body) than for your whole self to be corrupted by evil, hell will be incredibly painful
73
What are the issues with a physical hell?
```
.We would have found it already
.There is no empirical evidence
.Issues concerning overpopulation
.How do you get there?
-Logistical issues
.Does hell change with the person’s religion?
.Does it mean only Christians are saved?
```
74
What is the Catholic view on hell?
The Catholic Church dos not argue that hell is a physical place. Hell is a spiritual state that a person undergoes when they have rejected God.
75
What does Pope John Paul II state when speaking of hell?
’A symbolic language which must be correctly interpreted…Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy.’
76
Who believes in purgatory?
ONLY CATHOLICS
77
What is purgatory?
.A place of purification
.You can only go to heaven
.Nothing impure can enter God’s presence
.Prayers will reduce your punishment/time in purgatory
78
What scriptural evidence is there for purgatory?
.2 Maccabees 12 which says we should pray for the dead
.Mathew 12 which talks about sins against the Holy Spirit not being forgiven in this age or the age to come
.1 Corinthians 3 which refers to cleansing by fire, which is the traditional view of purgatory
79
Is the idea of purgatory present in the early church? Where?
Yes
| Origen, an early Church father, talked about an opportunity for the soul to protect itself.
80
What did Gregory of Nyssa see purgatory as?
as trying in with the idea of a God who wanted as many people to come to heaven as possible.
81
Who is John Hick?
a liberal theologian
82
What does John Hick say about purgatory?
one of the few Protestant writers who saw value in the concept of purgatory. Hick felt that hell could not be part of a loving God’s plan and so thought that there must be an opportunity after death for all to be purified before heaven.
83
The empyrean is?
The dwelling place of God
84
Where is heaven believed to be as a physical place?
Heaven was believed to be located above the stars or what is known as the firmament
85
What was believed to be beyond the firmament? Who went here and why?
Beyond the firmament was the highest heaven, or Empyrean. This is where the elect or blessed would go to be reunited with God, as it was God’s dwelling
86
When are bodies physically transported to the empyrean?
On the day of resurrection
87
What does Matthew 6:19-21 teach about heaven?
Good things on earth do not last, but good things in heaven are eternal, wait for the good things, heaven is full of goodness
88
What does Matthew 22:1-14 teach about heaven?
The people who have been given good things have rejected to follow Gods word, anyone is accepted in heaven as long as they choose to repent
89
What does John 14:1-4 teach about heaven?
Heaven has loads of space, there is not a limit, foreshadows Jesus’ death and resurrection, he shows people there’s an afterlife through his resurrection, we know the right things to do and that these will bring us to heaven
90
Matthew 6:19-21
'Do not store up for yourselvs the treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in a steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also'
91
Matthew 22:1-14
'Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the street and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests."'
92
John 14:1-4
'Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.'
93
What is the contemporary view on heaven?
Heaven is now described by most Christians as a condition or state of existence. It is not a physical place
94
St John Paul II quote on heaven as a contemporary view
‘The ‘heaven’ or ‘happiness’ in which we will find ourselves is neither an abstraction nor physical place in the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. It is our meeting with the Father which takes place in the risen Christ through the communion of the Holy Spirit’
95
What is the beautific vision and what did St Thomas Aquinas see it as?
Heaven is just meeting with the divine,St Thomas Aquinas saw it as an intellectual vision
96
Analogy by St Thomas Aquinas for heaven and meeting the divine
He said imagine you have a bar of iron, heat it up until it’s a liquid then you can’t see it in the fire, when you go to heaven you are the iron and become one with God the fire, the iron is still there but it is one with the fire
97
Catecism of the Catholic Church 1024
'The perfect life with the most holy trinity - this communion of life and love with the trinity, with the virgin mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called 'heaven'. Heaven is the ultimate fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness
98
Explain CCC 1024
.Heaven is a perfect life
.It is life with the trinity, Mary and the angels
.State of supreme happiness
.The ultimate fulfilment of humans
99
What definition of God does Catholics view on heaven link to?
Aquinas' definition of God
100
For Catholics is heaven etenal?
Yes
101
How, for Catholics, is heaven eternal?
.An eternal state with God, since God himself is beyond time and space.
.We are not with our friends and family in heaven, it is in unification with God
102
How do Protestants differ their belief of heaven and hell from Catholics?
.Many protestant churches see heaven as everlasting, not eternal.
.Heaven is a place where people live for the rest of time in the presence of God alongside friends and family
.They spend the rest of time joined together in the worship of God
103
What definition of God does proestants view on heaven link to?
Swinburne’s definition of God
104
Who was NT Wright and what did he argue for?
N.T. Wright, an Anglican New Testament scholar, argues for a biblical re-evaluation of theological matters such as views on the afterlife
105
What did NT Wright suggest?
Heaven is a future state where this world is transformed into the kingdom of God by Jesus at the end of time when he comes again (the parousia)
106
What is anti-realism?
the denial of an objective reality
107
How is DZ Philips anti-realist?
D Z Philips denies God as a physical being, instead the idea of God is a symbol of our commitment to living a good and moral life
108
How does DZ Philips view religious imagery?
Philips sees religious imagery about heaven and hell as symbolic of how people can live their lives
109
DZ Philips quote on view of heaven and Hell
'it would be foolish to speak of eternal life as some sort of appendage to human existence, something which happens after human life on earth is over. Eternal life is the reality of goodness, that in terms of which human life is to be assessed ... Eternity is not more life, but this life seen under moral ... modes of thought'
110
What would DZ Philips think of Hitler?
Hitler was in moral hell all the time he was on earth since his moral choices were so uniformly awful and disgusting, his life was hellish as he chose a life of selfishness and destruction
111
What would DZ Philips think of Nelson Mandela?
Nelson Mandela chose a more heavenly mode of thinking, he became more and more heavenly as he dedicated his life to selfless aims. He was heavenly in his mind and behaviour
112
According to DZ Philips, why do we say the afterlife is forever or eternal?
We say the afterlife is eternal or forever because once you are died you can’t change what you have done, the lives of the dead are fixed eternally
113
Summarise DZ PHilips views on heaven and hell
Basically there is no literal concept of heaven or hell, it is how you choose to live your life
114
Difference between limited and unlimited election?
1. Limited election is the idea that only a few Christians will be saved, and these people are predestined by God
unlimited election is the idea that all people are called to salvation but not all are saved, we can make the choice to freely reject God’s gift of salvation and not be sent to heaven
115
Name a scholar who believes in limited election
Protestant Christian John Calvin (1509 – 1564)
116
Name a scholar who believes in unlimited election
Protestant Christian James Arminius (1560 – 1609)
117
Why does John Calvin believe in limited election?
.Gods will is absolutely sovereign and so if God chose all people for salvation, then, all would indeed go to heaven
.It is clear from the bible that not all people go to heaven
.Therefore, God did not choose all people to go to heaven
.Therefore, God has limited his election to only a portion of mankind
118
What does Calvin mean by the term 'double predestination'?
Calvin refers to the dual concept of his view that God has elected some to be saved and others will not. It is not God helping some and harming others, but more him acting in the lives of the chosen and not in the lives of those who have not been chosen.
119
Where does the bible support John Calvin's views?
4. The bible supports Calvin through Matthew 24:31 where it says ‘they will gather together his elect’, suggesting that God has a limited number of elect he has chosen. He is also supported in Romans 9:15-16 where it says ‘It does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy’, which suggests that it doesn’t matter on your actions as it all depends on who God chooses.
120
Why does Calvin reject Arminius' view?
5. Calvin rejects Arminius’ view since Arminius argues that we have to cooperate and help God to make his offer of salvation effective. Whereas Calvin would argue that God is omnipotent and so can do what he likes with his creation, it is his business, and we can have no complaint since without him we would not have existed at all.
121
Main Calvin quote for limited election
‘Predestination is God’s eternal decree, by which he determines with himself what he willed to happen to each person. For not all are created in equal condition; rather eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for others.’
122
Explode Calvin's main quote on limited election
1. ‘Predestination’ means that God has already chosen for us on where we will go, heaven or hell.
2. By the phrase ‘determines with himself’, he means that God has chosen all by himself what happens – it is purely his decision and we cannot influence it.
3. By the phrase ‘for not all are created in equal condition’, he means that God has not created us all with the intention of eternal life, others are created with the destination for damnation.
4. Eternal life is heave, eternal damnation is hell
123
Who is more convincing, Arminius or Calvin? Explain.
1. In a theological fight, James Arminius would win. He has the backing of Protestant groups, Roman Catholics and Orthodox Catholics as well as evidence from the bible – all of the parables Jesus teaches. Why would Jesus teach us how to be good people and make quite the effort to do so if our actions did not influence our destination in the afterlife? Take for example the sheep and the goats, the good people (sheep) get taken to heaven, whereas the bad people (the goats) don’t. Therefore James Arminius would win and unlimited election – the idea that all are called to salvation but not all are saved – is stronger than limited election.
124
Matthew 24:31
'And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other'
125
Romans 9:15-16
'For he says to Moses "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.'
126
Calvin quote where he realises his idea is not the nicest
'The decree is dreadful indeed, I confess. Yet no one can deny that God foreknew what end man was to have before he created him, and consequently foreknew because he so ordained by his decree'
127
Catechism of the Catholic Church on limited and unlimited election
'God predestines no one to go to Hell; for this to happen, a wilful turning away from God is necessary, and persistence in it until the end.'
128
Define double predestination
the view held by Calvinists that God chooses who goes to heaven and also those who will go to hell
129
Define limited election
the view that only some people are chosen to be saved
130
Define single predestination
the view held by Catholics that God choose those who will go to heaven
131
Define unlimited election
the view that everyone is called to be saved but only a few will be
132
Define soverign
Absolute
133
What does Augustine say about salvation?
Gods grace is needed
134
Matthew 22:14
'many are invited but few are chosen'
135
Who and when, Westminster confession?
The confession was drawn up in 1646 at the command of the English Government.
136
What is the Westminster confession?
It sets out the principle beliefs of Calvinist Christianity.
| It has been adopted and adapted by many Protestant Churches
137
Quote on predestination from the Westminster Confession?
‘By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death’ – Westminster Confession
138
Define foreordained
God has already decided
139
'Only christians will be saved' For points
Double predestination and John Calvin
Westminster Confession
Need God’s grace - Augustine
Justification through faith – Jesus death would have been pointless
Logical to say that God would not reward the wicked with heaven – would go against his omnibenevolent
N.T. Wright, Jesus will transform the world into the kingdom of God for the righteous
Only Christians will be pure enough to enter heaven and St Paul taught ‘nothing impure will enter’
140
'Only christians will be saved' Against points
Would an all loving God allow this?
Unlimited election – Arminius
Anonymous Christians – what counts as a Christian?
Romans: ‘All have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God’, there would be no chance of redemption if only Christians are saved
Catholics may argue anyone who has been purified in purgatory can enter heaven
141
Timothy 4:10
‘That is why we labour and strive, because we have put out hope in the living God, who is the saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.’ – Timothy 4:10
142
Explain Timothy 4:10
.Anyone can go to heaven, as God is the saviour of ALL people
143
Define universalism
everyone will be saved
144
Define metanoia
change of heart, you need to have a true change of heart to get to heaven, you can’t just repent to get to heaven you have to have a change of heart
145
What does Thomas Aquinas argue about the fall and human freedom?
Thomas Aquinas argued that the fall did not wipe out human freedom
146
What does Calvin argue about the fall and human freedom?
Calvin argues that we are hopeless in our fallen state unless saved by God
147
Does Aquinas believe in single predestination?
Yes
148
Differnce between single and double predestination
In double pre-destination the wicked condemn themselves to hell. They are the ones who choose to reject goodness and therefore God.
149
CCC 1036:
: ‘God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a wilful turning away from God is necessary, and persistence in it until end.’
150
Where does the concenpt of Unlimited election come from?
20th Century theologian Karl Barth
151
What did Karl Barth say?
.The incarnation of Jesus means that all humans may be saved because God took on human form
.The choice that God made is not the choice of who to save, but the choice of coming to earth as Jesus
.All people are elected through Jesus taking on the punishment of death
152
Quote from Church Dogmatics, Karl Barth
- ‘there is no condemnation – literally no one – for those that are in Christ Jesus’
153
How is Karl Barth not a universalist?
.He is not a Universalist because he does not believe it is necessary all people go to heaven, just that it is open to all – God does not condemn.
154
Who developed the idea of universalism?
John Hick, a 20th Century theologian who believed it was not logically possible for God to be all loving and Hell be an eternal punishment.
155
What does Hick see Hell as, why?
.If earthly existence is a journey of moral and spiritual education, it makes more sense to see Hell as a continuation of that journey in which someone strives for perfection
156
Where does Hick write his ideas?
.In his book, Evil and the God of love
157
Why does Hick believe we will all be reunited with God?
Hick refers to the belief of the imago Dei. Since we all carry within us the spark of the divine, we are connected to God, and we will find no rest until we are united with the divine.
158
John Hick quote about attraction to God
‘God has so made us that the inherent gravitation of our being is towards him’
159
Hick quote about different countries and religions
'If I had been born in India, I would probably be a Hindu; if in Egypt, probably a Muslim: if in Sri Lanka, probably a Buddist; but I was born in Englan and am, preidtcably a christian. These different religions seem to say different and incompatible things about the nature of ultimate reality, about the modes of divine activity, and about the nature and destiny of the human race.'
160
What does the Hick quote about different countries and religions mean?
Saying that the idea that only Christians can be saved seems very unfair to the vast majority of the world
