Lecture notes
Self, Death and the Afterlife
- Institution
- AQA
Religious Studies AQA A Level. Complete Year 1 Christianity notes.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
Content preview
Self, death and the afterlifeMeaning and purpose of life
- For Christians, the meaning and purpose of life might include:
o To glorify God and to have a personal relationship with him. We are made in God’s
image, so our purpose if to reflect God’s glory with our lives and actions.
o To prepare for judgement. Genesis shows that the relationship between God and
humanity was broken, Jesus died to atone for human sin and judgement at the end
of time will complete the fixing of this relationship.
o To bring about God’s Kingdom on Earth. Some Christians see the hope of
establishing God’s Kingdom as the end goal, while others see it as a present reality,
thinking it is possible to establish the qualities of God’s Kingdom on Earth.
Resurrection
Resurrection is the defining feature of Christian belief.
Resurrection of the Body:
Augustine said that the flesh is needed so that both the spiritual and
physical effects of sin can be removed.
He assumes from the Gospels that Jesus’ resurrection was physical.
Resurrection of the Spirit:
Influenced by Plato’s dualistic philosophy, where a person’s soul is housed in
a physical body. St Paul supports the idea of spiritual resurrection when he
says what is sown a physical body, is raised a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 and 5—54 is about Paul’s response to doubt of
resurrection after death. It is important because it was written only 20-25
years after Jesus’ death.
Judgement, Heaven, Hell and Purgatory
Some understand these as physical. The reality of pain in the era before anaesthetics made
the idea of physical punishment a likely one. Also, the bodily suffering of Jesus on the cross
was real, so the idea of physical punishment for sin is natural.
Others understand these as spiritual realities, in which suffering might be seen as spiritual
loss, such as permanent separation from God.
For many Liberal Christians, these are perhaps psychological realities, generated by the
mind. Therefore, ‘heaven’ might be a life of peace and contentment.
Process theologians generally reject any idea of subject immorality. Since God exists
panentheistically which the physical universe, God is both mental and physical experience.
When we die, we stay as a real and permanent object in the mind of God.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller AB145. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
70055 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now