Death + the afterlife

Question 1

What are the 3 sources of Christian theology

Answer 1

Evangelical protestant - revelation
Roman catholic - reason + revelation
Liberal protestant - reason

Question 2

Teachings on the afterlife

Answer 2

Jesus speaks infrequently about heaven, a bit more about hell
More teachings about ‘the kingdom of god’
He says it is ‘present and among you’ but also as future and coming
Means rule or reign of god - could be interpreted as a place or state of being
Some early Christians therefore thought the kingdom / heaven would be imminently established on earth

Question 3

Ambiguity in resurrection teachings

Answer 3

There was ambiguity concerning the Parousia - the second coming of Christ

Question 4

Idea of 1 or 2 judgements

Answer 4

1 judgement - argues for 1 final judgement (parable of the sheep and the goats) where all humanity will be judged
2 judgements - at death each persons soul will experience a particular judgement leading to either purgatory, heaven or hell (rich man and Lazarus) - a final judgement at the end of all history when all people will be judged (parable of the sheep and the goats)

Question 5

Heaven as physical

Answer 5

Physical resurrection contributes to the notion of heaven as a tangible destination
Medieval views portrayed heaven as a physical place beyond the stars
Modern challenges arise as perceptions of the universe change - science vs religion

Question 6

Heaven as spiritual

Answer 6

Modern view sees heaven not as a physical location but as a spiritual relationship with the holy trinity in a ‘state of being’
Aquinas portrays the beatific vision as an intellectual closeness with god, challenging physical conceptions

Question 7

Heaven as symbolic

Answer 7

DZ Phillips views religious concepts like heaven and hell as moral symbols rather than actual places
Eternal life becomes a symbol for the reality of goodness, assessing human life’s moral quality
God in this perspective symbolizes supreme moral power, shaping everyday behaviour

Question 8

Key facts on purgatory

Answer 8

Comes from ‘to purge’ - cleanse or get rid of sins
Catholic teachings accept that even those who have faith commit sins
In this life cleansing of sin can be done through confession - purgatory offers a similar process for sins that weren’t confessed before death
Sometimes presented as a place of fire between heaven and hell (thought of as a cleansing fire)

Question 9

John Calvin on purgatory

Answer 9

Purgatory is not a credible Christian belief - the bible only teaches about two eternal destinations

Question 10

John Hick on purgatory

Answer 10

It makes sense that all go to purgatory on their way to heaven - no one is perfect, yet a loving God would want all people to be in heaven with him

Question 11

Pope Francis on purgatory

Answer 11

Purgatory has a long tradition in the catholic church - it shows how people who die unforgiven can still end up in heaven with God

Question 12

Old testament teachings on hell

Answer 12

Old testament talks about ‘sheol’ rather than hell
Psalm 9:17 - “the wicked shall return to sheol”
Sheol is a Hebrew term referring to the realm of the dead or afterlife
Sheol is sometimes depicted as a peaceful abode, but sometimes associated with punishment and torment

Question 13

New testament teachings on hell

Answer 13

A more clearly defined understanding of hell emerges
Matthew 25:46 - “and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”

Question 14

What are the 3 theories about how hell should be understood

Answer 14

Eternal conscious torment - hell is a place of everlasting punishment and torment. Emphasises gods justice for punishing the bad and praising the good
Annihilationism - hell is the annihilation or destruction of the soul. The wicked will cease to exist or be completely destroyed rather than experiencing everlasting pain, emphasising gods mercy
Universalism - ultimately, all souls will be saved including those in hell. Emphasises gods infinite love and mercy.

Question 15

Election

Answer 15

‘Choice’ - refers to those who have been chosen or called by god for eternal life

Question 16

Predestinaition

Answer 16

The Christian teaching that god chooses and guides some people towards salvation

Question 17

What are the 2 versions of election

Answer 17

Limited election
Unlimited election

Question 18

Limited election

Answer 18

Salvation and reward of heaven in the afterlife is only for those whom god, out of his grace, chooses to be righteous

Question 19

Unlimited election

Answer 19

The god of love calls all people to salvation and to achieve perfection; the promise of heaven in the afterlife is possible for all

Question 20

Calvin vs Armenius

Answer 20

Calvin - God must limit his election as the bible shows not all people go to heaven
Arminius - Humans choose whether they want to be saved or not by accepting or rejecting the gift of salvation. Christ died on the cross for us so god has done all that is necessary to save everyone

Question 21

How could universalism be made possible

Answer 21

The opportunity of a choice after death so everyone could freely choose heaven
A process of purgatory by which everyone could be cleansed of their sins and merit heaven
Hell being time limited so people can pay the punishment for their sins

Question 22

Hick on the afterlife

Answer 22

Argues that the overwhelming emphasis of the new testament is reconciliation with god
The god whom Jesus preached is not the god of judgement and exclusion which hell requires
He questions the purpose of eternal punishment

Question 23

Barth on the afterlife

Answer 23

Argues a simplistic understanding of election and predestination
It is not for humans to speculate on the mystery of salvation and the fate of individuals