Death & the Afterlife Scholars Flashcards
(14 cards)
Hick
Intermediate state makes sense. Hell is not eternal because Hell as eternal is contradictory to an omnibenevolent God. the afterlife is a continuation of the soul-making started on Earth. New Testament teaches about reconciliation, not punishment. Jesus preaches about restoring the relationship with God and humanity. Pope Benedict was critical as the thought of disregarded Jesus’ sacrifice and dialled to take into account the atonement of sin.
Augustine
Believed in OS, so no human is worthy of a place in Heaven. Only through God’s grace that we are able to reach Heaven. Moral acts mean nothing.
St Paul
Believed fully in the resurrection, which told Chistians that they would too be resurrected and transformed in ‘another realm.’ (Plato) where we are not corrupted.
Aquinas
Beatific vision. The afterlife is out of space and time, eternal moment with God. Fall didn’t destroy our ability to choose right from wrong and God will let the good into Heaven and condemn the wicked to hell. Purgatory is for those who are neither elected or condemned. A mortal sin needs to committed for immediate entry to Hell.
Williams
Proposed that Heaven could get boring. Part of the appeal of life is deciding what to do with our limited lives. Same for Hell, could get immune to pain.
Saducees
Do not believe in life after death, God only gave us life which we must look after o
Pharisees
Believe in the resurrection of the body after death and in angels
Dante
Envisions Hell divided into circles, based on Aquinas’ deadly sins. Sins are given appropriate punishments in Hell. In all respects, Hell is dysfunctional, inmates lack faith in God and lack hope. Equally, there are 10 Heavens of Paradise where souls find their intellectual resting place and degree of bliss. Dante presents a psychological evocative image about the final relationship between God and humanity. It shows that God is the love that governs the world. Purgatory is where believers who have repented before death, they are purged of their sins. The experience is positive.
Cadbury
Jesus took the afterlife for granted. He did not need to prove it
Ambrose
Purgatory is where people get a taste of what is to come, Heaven or Hell
Rahner
Purgatory is not a place of pain, but. is a metaphor for the soul’s greater awareness of the consequences of sin between the time after death and the Last Judgement. Many pain is entirely self-inflicted and personal.
Origen
Hell is spiritual and self-inflicted, God doesn’t cause the pains which is a result of seperation from God, the outcome being pain. (Gregory of Nyssa has a similar view; He’ll is painful due to personal guilt when faced in front of Jesus, you judge yourself, not Jesus). Hell isn’t permanent it passes when the world is redeemed. Purgatory is like a probationary school, the soul develops and perfects itself.
Calvin
Double predestination, some are elected to Heaven and some Hell. God knows how we will choose to act and gives grace or punishment accordingly. But Christians shouldn’t assume they have been saved or presume to know anything about election.
Barth
Disagrees with double predestination. It is simplistic and a misinterpretation of the Gospels. We are all able to reach Heaven, Jesus sacrifice restored our relationship with God, allowing for salvation for all. Of we accept Christ we can be saved, if we reject Christ then we won’t.
