"Another [belief] is embodied in the
tenet that the souls of the departed become angels. In Judaic and Christian
doctrine, the angel creation is distinct from that of human beings, and a Jew
or a Catholic would as little dream of confusing the distinct conception of
angel and soul, as of believing in metempsychosis. But not so dissenting
religion. According to Druidic dogma, the souls of the dead were guardians of
the living; a belief shared with the ancient Indians, who venerated the spirits
of their ancestry, the Pitris, as watching over and protecting them. Thus, the
hymn “I want to be an Angel,” so popular in dissenting schools, is founded on
the venerable Aryan myth, and therefore of exceeding interest; but Christian it
is not.
Another tenet which
militates against Christian doctrine, and has supplanted it in popular belief,
is that of the transmigration of the soul to bliss immediately on its departure
from the body.
The article stantis
vel cadentis Fidei, of the Apostles, was the resurrection of the body.
If we read the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles with care, it is
striking how great weight, we find, is laid on this doctrine. They went every
where preaching—1. the rising of Christ; 2. the consequent restoration of the
bodies of Christians. “If the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if
Christ be not raised, your faith is vain. But now is Christ risen from the
dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive[191].”
This was the key-note to the teaching of the Apostles; it runs
through the New Testament, and is reflected in the writings of the Fathers. It
occupies its legitimate position in the Creeds, and the Church has never failed
to insist upon it with no faltering voice.
But the doctrine of the soul
being transported to heaven, and of its happiness being completed at death,
finds no place in the Bible or the Liturgies of any branch—Greek, Roman, or
Anglican—of the Church Catholic. Yet this was the tenet of our Keltic forefathers,
and it has maintained itself in English Protestantism, so as to divest the
doctrine of the resurrection of the body of its grasp on the popular mind.
Among the Kelts, again, reception into the sacred inner circle of the
illuminated was precisely analogous to the received dissenting doctrine of
conversion. To it are applied, by the bards, terms such as ‘the second birth’,
‘the renewal,’ which are to this day employed by Methodists to designate the
mysterious process of conversion. – Sabine Baring-Gould, Curious Myths of the
Middle Ages
“Christianity is almost the
only one of the great religions which thoroughly approves of the body – which
believes that matter is good, that God himself once took on a human body, that
some kind of body is going to be given to us even in heaven and is going to be
an essential part of our happiness.” – C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Article 11 I Believe In The
Resurrection Of The Body
"I BELIEVE IN THE
RESURRECTION OF THE BODY"
988 The Christian Creed -
the profession of our faith in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
and in God's creative, saving, and sanctifying action - culminates in the
proclamation of the resurrection of the dead on the last day and in life everlasting.
989 We firmly believe, and
hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives for
ever, so after death the righteous will live for ever with the risen Christ and
he will raise them up on the last day.532 Our resurrection, like his own, will be
the work of the Most Holy Trinity:
If the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the
dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in
you.533
990 The term
"flesh" refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality.534 The "resurrection of the
flesh" (the literal formulation of the Apostles' Creed) means not only
that the immortal soul will live on after death, but that even our "mortal
body" will come to life again.535
991 Belief in the
resurrection of the dead has been an essential element of the Christian faith
from its beginnings. "The confidence of Christians is the resurrection of
the dead; believing this we live."536 How can some of you say that there is no
resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then
Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching
is in vain and your faith is in vain.... But in fact Christ has been raised
from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.537 – Catechism
AI Overview
In Catholicism, the body is
not considered a prison or a mere shell, but rather a sacred and integral part
of the human person. It is viewed as a visible sign of the soul, a gift
from God, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. The body is also understood to
be united with the soul to form a complete human being.
Elaboration:
- Not a prison:
Unlike some philosophical or
spiritual traditions, Catholicism does not view the body as a barrier or
impediment to the soul's spiritual journey. Instead, it is seen as a means
of expression and a place where the soul can interact with the world.
- Not a shell:
The body is not merely a
vessel or container for the soul, but rather an essential component of the
human being. It is a visible manifestation of the soul and helps in
expressing emotions and experiences.
- Sacred and integral:
Catholicism emphasizes the
sacredness of the body as a creation of God, made in His image. It is a
temple of the Holy Spirit, where God resides and where spiritual encounters can
occur.
- Unity of body and soul:
The Catholic understanding
emphasizes the inseparable unity between body and soul. This means that
the soul is not separate from the body and that the body is not simply a tool
for the soul. The two are joined together to form a single, complete human
being.
- Theological significance:
The body's importance is
further highlighted in the Christian understanding of the Incarnation, where
the Son of God took on human flesh in Jesus Christ, uniting humanity and
divinity. The body is also viewed as having a role in the resurrection and
eternal life.
Here are five ways St. John
Paul II’s Theology of the Body can change the way you see your
body.
1. Your body was created
good and beautiful
We all know the story
of creation—God
spoke, it came to be, and God called it good. The seas and skies were good. The
sun, moon, and stars were good. The plants and animals were good. The creation
of man was no different. After he created man, God looked at what he had made,
and he called it good. In fact, he called it very good. When
God created you, he looked at you, and he said the same thing—you are good.
And he means all of you, body and soul. Your body is good in
the eyes of God. Your body is beautiful. He is proud of the masterpiece he has
created. And you should be proud too.
2. Sin has clouded the way
you see your body.
Your body was created good,
but you may not always see it that way. Your body and soul are united, but sometimes
you may feel as though they are at war with each other. Sin has distorted the
way you see your body. You cannot always see
yourself as God does. The devil will whisper lies into your heart
that claim that your body is not worthy of love and respect. He will tell you
that your body is ugly and needs to be hidden, that you need to be ashamed of
yourself. But those are lies. God created you for more. He created your body
for more.
3. You do not have a
body; you are a body.
When God created man, he
created him as an embodied soul. St. John Paul II calls man’s body the
sacrament of his soul (TOB 19:4). Man’s body is the visible sign of the
invisible reality of his soul. Your body is part of what makes you, well, you.
You wouldn’t be human without it. Your body allows you to communicate what you
feel in the depths of your soul. Your smiles reveal your joy. Your tears convey
your sadness or frustration. Your hugs and kisses express your love. Your body
allows you to share your love and joy, as well as your sadness and frustration,
with others. And as you probably know, all things are better when they’re
shared with others.
4. Your body is a gift to be
respected and cherished.
Your life is a gift from
God, and that includes your body. But like any gift, your body can either be
accepted in gratitude or rejected. You can either cherish your body as the gift
it is, or you can reject it as something unworthy of love. When we give gifts,
we give something of ourselves, too. So when you choose to love your body and
treat it with respect, you are choosing to love and respect the One who gave it
to you. You show your love for God by treating your body as the incredible gift
it is.
5. Your body is yours
forever.
If being human means being a
body–soul unity, we need our bodies and our souls to be fully human. That means
that your body is here to stay. The separation between body and soul that will
happen at death is only temporary. At the end of the world, you will get your
body back—this body, the one that is yours right now. It will be glorified, and
it will be untouched by sin, but it will still be yours. It will be the body
that God gave you at the beginning of your life, that he created as good and
beautiful, that he made just for you out of love. God loves your body, so it is
time that you really love it, too.
AI Overview
No, the resurrected body is
not necessarily made of the same material as the dead body, although it retains
a physical form. While the resurrected body is described as having flesh
and bones, it is also stated to be imperishable and glorious, suggesting a
transformation rather than a simple revival of the old body.
Here's a more detailed
explanation:
- The Same Physical Body, but Transformed:
The Bible suggests that the
resurrected body is the same physical body that lived and died, but with a
transformed nature. This is evident in the fact that Jesus showed his
crucifixion wounds (stigmata) after his resurrection.
- Not a Ghost:
The resurrected body is not
a spirit or ghost but has a physical form, as evidenced by Jesus's ability to
eat and touch.
- Different Glory:
The resurrected body is
described as having a "glorious" or "spiritual" body, which
implies a change in its composition and nature.
- Not Corruptible:
The resurrected body is
stated to be imperishable and not subject to decay, unlike the mortal
body.
- Continuity, Not Identical Material:
There is a continuity
between the original body and the resurrected body, but the material
composition may not be exactly the same.
- Focus on Individuality:
The emphasis seems to be on
retaining one's unique identity, memory, and personality, rather than on the
exact material composition of the body.
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