Purgatory Flashcards
Where is the doctrine of purgatory from?
the Catholic teaching was developed by early Christian thinkers such as Origen and Augustine.
After Origen and Augustine, who developed the idea of purgatory further?
Pope Gregory (6th century)
Why did Pope Gregory develop the idea of purgatory further?
he wanted to explain contemporary practices of praying for the dead and he based his ideas on MATT 12:31, which talks about the only unforgivable sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
What is MATT 12:31?
“And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven […] either in this age or in the age to come”
What did Pope Gregory extrapolate from MATT 12:31?
believed this passage refers to the possibility of forgiveness, not only in this age but also ‘in the age to come’. He understood this to mean that forgiveness does not only happen during a person’s earthly life but is also a possibility after death, and so, building on the thinking of other Christians before him, he reasoned that there must, therefore, be a kind of temporary state after death in which people have the opportunity to rid themselves of sin and be forgiven. The point of death does not have to mark an individual’s last chance to put things right.
Define purgatory
place or state in which after death the soul is ‘purged’ before the person is ready to enter. It is not an individual’s final destination, but an interim state between the moment of death and life in heaven
What is the main Catholic belief regarding purgatory?
According to Catholic teaching, some souls are not in a sufficient state of grace to warrant being sent straight to heaven. There is, therefore, and need for a cleansing process that brings healing. There is also for some a need for punishment - not eternal punishment, but punishment will an end result -which is understood as being more painful than anything that can be experienced on this Earth.
The imagery of fire is often used, as it is in descriptions of hell. Catholic teaching is that the prayers of the living can contribute to this cleansing process, helping the dead soul to get through the purgatory and become ready to enter the presence of God. Catholics also teach at the process of purging sin can be started in this earthly life, where people can voluntarily decide to purge themselves of sin by going to confession and repenting, and by putting right the things they have done wrong as far as they can, for example by being generous to those in need and by working hard to become more virtuous in their daily lives.
What Catholic theologian developed a view on Purgatory that was far more appealing to the people of the 20th century?
Karl Rahner
How did Karl Rahner develop the doctrine of purgatory?
argued that purgatory should be understood not as a horrible place of pain, but as a metaphor for the soul’s greater awareness of the consequences of sin, especially the individual’s own sin, in the time between death and the Last Judgement. The pain of purgatory is, therefore, a self-inflicted personal pain, as the individual comes to terms with the full meaning of repentance and grace
Why do Protestant Christians reject the doctrine of purgatory?
because they do not see that it is supported by the Bible, and partly because they think it is contradictory to biblical teaching about salvation. In the Protestant view, ideas of Purgatory are wrong because they suggest that Jesus did not complete the final act of salvation on the cross
