Belief In Resurrection Research Articles

예수 부활과 초대교회의 해석

This paper examines the issue of the historicity of Jesus' resurrection and discusses the early church's interpretation of the resurrection. The core controversy surrounding the historicity of Jesus' resurrection is whether Jesus was truly resurrected in the flesh. While in Galilee the disciples experienced an apparition of Jesus, in Jerusalem women discovered an empty tomb and experienced an apparition. When the disciples returned to Jerusalem and heard about the empty tomb, the apparitions and the empty tomb complemented each other and solidified the belief in resurrection. However, as Paul said (1 Cor 15,16), without the Jewish faith in the resurrection, Jesus would not have been resurrected. Since Jesus himself shared the Jewish faith in the resurrection, his death did not end in vain and he could predict God's victory. The issue of bodily resurrection raises questions about the steps prior to resurrection. Jesus taught that people live in spirit form even after death (Q 12,4-5). Jesus taught that humans are always before God, whether alive in body or alive in spirit after death (cf. Mk 12,27). The Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God being both future and present is based on his conviction that everything is alive before God. Therefore everything is already in a continuous process toward the eschatological goal. The intermediate state between individual death and resurrection is seen as a continuous process toward eschatological resurrection. Jesus and the early Christians believed in an intermediate state of survival of the spirit after death. The reason the early church was able to solve the problem of delaying the Second Coming (Mk 13,32; 2Peter 3,4) was also due to the belief in the intermediate stage of being with Christ even after individual death (cf. Lk 23:43; Phil 1:23). The early Christians understood the period before the Second Coming as a time for the church to prepare for eschatological restoration (Acts 3:20-21) and actively carried out missionary activities to participate in the process of salvation history (Acts 1:8). Luke gives a narrative of birth of the church through the resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit. Mark and Matthew, who do not mention the ascension, emphasize that the crucified Jesus was resurrected and is still with his disciples. The early Christians who have experienced the resurrection and apparitions of Jesus as a force for leading history proclaimed the gospel of resurrection. Therefore, they were able to further commit themselves to the historical process toward the new creation for the final restoration of the whole world.

A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CANAANITE AND SAWIAN CIVILIZATIONS

The planning and construction of ancient dwellings are the most attractive things, as they are considered a picturesque civilization that one can experience. This demonstrates the ancient heritage of these nations who worked and are among the historical origins of the archaeological world. The different stages are basic elements of the study of archaeological science. They give us approximately the true images of the history of ancient cities such as the period and manner of their constitution, as well as those of the materials with which they were built. In this context, a similarity appears in the contribution of the two heritages of the Sao and the canon in many aspects such as cultural and industrial. The work thus appears in both and the researcher encounters certain problems which make them tired of approaching in order to highlight their objective in the context of origins and references. The process of creating cities, temples, forts and walls on the outskirts of everything on the four cardinal points is intended for protection against attacks from external enemies, but the recognition of the Sao and Canonical cities is also that of the existence of small autonomous towns independent of each other; each having its own way of managing itself, without external intervention. The Phoenician peoples discovered trade through their navigation of the oceans in a very ancient era due to the small area of their cultivable land. In the meantime, the Sao people were preoccupied with agriculture and the manufacture of metals and pottery based on fired ceramics and clay without commercializing it. Thus, the Sao people and civilization is called The civilization of pottery (clay). Both civilizations are represented by the mode of burial of their dead in rough pottery jars not showing the facial features in their entirety, but orienting the face towards the sun. Thus, alluding to the power of the sun, they make human sacrifices to repel epidemics and disasters, whether internal or external. This practice shows their belief in resurrection after death, hence the burial of their dead with all the material belonging to and having served the deceased before their death. The Canaanite civilization arrived in Chad from different points; and different palpable evidence proves its existence in certain regions and zones of Chad, particularly Sahelian including those of Abéché, Arada and its surroundings like the effect of embers. The Sao people have mastered the technique of heating metals and the high temperature that lead to the melting of iron, their specialty. The word Sao is of Amharic origin and means “Human”. This people experienced unrest at the time of the ancient empire of 3500-2000 BC, having motivated the people to obtain privileges long reserved for the pharaohs. Likewise, in the middle dynasty of 2000 -1580 B.C., Pharaoh Amen Haout I from the south led wars against the Amalike Arab tribes coming from Asia and expelled them in 1700 B.C. During these invasions and upheavals, the Amalike tribes were able to invade Egypt and establish Dynasties ranging from the XIVth to the XVIIth. Other views revealed that the Egyptians attempted to penetrate deep into the African continent along the Nile to the Fourth Cataract. They would also have diverted access and incursion towards the Lake Chad Basin through the ancient valleys on the left bank of the Nile

اسلامی تصور معاد اور انسانی زندگی پر اس کے اثرات کا تحقیقی جائزہ

The Doctrine of Eschatology has always been the core issue among world religions. The Concept of Resurrection, being essential element of the doctrine of Eschatology, had been expounded by world religions in different way. Some are of the view that there is no resurrection at all, while other perceives it as reunion of soul and body after death and transmigration of soul as per actions being performed in previous life. The aim of research study is to expound the concept of belief in resurrection and its impact on human life. Various Textual and empirical evidences are analyzed to comprehend the concept of resurrection and its necessity. It is found that Islamic teachings have discussed the doctrine of resurrection in detail. Since Allah SWT is the Omnipotent, so it is not difficult for Him to reunite the segregated soul and flesh, as He created it from non-existence. The study showed that behavior, attitude, and actions of those who believe and of those who don’t believe in doctrine of resurrection are quite different. It is concluded that belief in resurrection makes human as a responsible being, consequently, his/her actions and attitude creates a positive impact on his/her behavior towards others and by large on humanity as well. Contrary to this, the actions of those who don’t believe in resurrection results negative impact on human behavior and actions.

It's About Eternal Life After All: Revisiting Catholic Beliefs by Edward Jeremy Miller

Reviewed by: It's About Eternal Life After All: Revisiting Catholic Beliefs by Edward Jeremy Miller Christopher Cimorelli It's About Eternal Life After All: Revisiting Catholic Beliefs BY EDWARD JEREMY MILLER Hobe Sound, FL: Divina Press, an Imprint of Lectio Publishing, LLC, 2021. xxxi + 263 pages. Paperback: $22. ISBN: 9781943901982. Many NSJ readers will be familiar with the life and work of Edward Jeremy Miller, long a contributor to the field of Newman studies.1 His works John Henry Newman on the Idea of the Church (1987)2 and the edited volume, Conscience and the Path to Holiness: Walking with Newman (2014),3 stand out in this regard and across a career spanning more than forty years. It's About Eternal Life After All: Revisiting Catholic Beliefs departs from these earlier academic works given that it contains Miller's memoirs and reflections on Catholic beliefs, as indicated by the subtitle.4 It would not be accurate to describe Eternal Life as a book about John Henry Newman, but Newman is nevertheless present throughout—explicitly mentioned or otherwise—given his influence on the author. Miller establishes two major facets of this influence at the outset, which include the following Newmanian distinctions: that is, the distinction between the visible and invisible world, on the one hand, and the distinction between notional and real assent, on the other.5 He ultimately aims to bolster the possibility of real assent in the Catholic faithful, so that many believers can come to the same realization made possible through Miller's own labor and contemplation, namely: that the invisible world is not some remote location, but rather is manifest here and now; the God who is love truly indwells the believer, drawing one further into the divine life that will be fully realized upon death. The concrete approach to support this aim includes prefatory material that contains an overview of Miller's life story, eight chapters, and six short appendices. The first chapter treats the way that the Bible works from a Catholic perspective, which sets the stage for a reconsideration of creation and the fall of humanity (ch. 2). Here, Miller reflects on, among other things, limitations stemming from the Council of Trent's literal understanding of Adam and Eve's fall from paradise. Chapters three and four treat the understanding of God and the rich subject of [End Page 94] prayer; the aforementioned idea of God's indwelling receives its form in these pages and is carried forward throughout the rest of the book. Chapters five and six explore the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, as well as other features of resurrection belief—including thought-provoking considerations of traditional Catholic teachings like purgatory, hell, and the "timing" of the resurrection. Miller here makes the case that full resurrection life is enjoyed immediately upon death and is not something reserved for the end of time, which would lead to a view of disembodied—and thus not-quite-human—souls lurking about. These two chapters are rather substantial, which is apropos given their main topics and centrality to the Christian faith in general. Chapter seven considers the view of eternal life previously established, but in the concrete and imperfect setting of the church, which is further explored via its sacraments and controversial social issues. Chapter eight considers the relationship between faith and science, two areas that Miller's own educational background has connected in the pursuit of truth, as well as few final, but ancillary topics. In authoring these memoirs, Miller intended to not only give expression to his developing view of Catholic life and beliefs, but to do so in a simplified manner that could benefit Catholic laity—the primary audience of the text—who are invested in their faith and the quest to understand it more deeply, but who may not have had any formal theological education. Miller is largely successful in "translating" esoteric and dense theological topics into more relatable language and helpful analogies. Nevertheless, there are passages where even an invested layperson will need to sit with subsections treating complex theological content. An example includes the valuable treatment of the doctrine of Original Sin when reading the book...

Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Pseudepigrapha by Jan A. Sigvartsen

Reviewed by: Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Pseudepigrapha by Jan A. Sigvartsen Glenn B. Siniscalchi jan a. sigvartsen, Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Pseudepigrapha (Jewish and Christian Texts in Contexts and Related Studies 31; London: T&T Clark, 2019). Pp. xxiv + 331. $39.95. This volume was deliberately written as a companion to Sigvartsen's earlier book, Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Apocrypha and Apocryphal Literature (see preceding review). Together these books constitute two of the most penetrating studies on the ways in which Jews of the Second Temple era understood the afterlife; they also help to bring the study of Jewish eschatological visions (including the resurrection) to center stage as a major area of biblical scholarship. S.'s books should also be consulted by NT specialists for information about the religious background for the earliest Christians' belief in Jesus's resurrection. The origins of mainstream belief in the resurrection are often traced back to the Second Temple period. During this time, after the Jews came into contact with surrounding religious cultures, they began to synthesize and amalgamate different views of the afterlife as part of their own religious framework. Thus, "multiple afterlife beliefs developed and appeared in their literature, in an attempt to solve the problem of theodicy. By the end of this period, a belief in bodily resurrection had become the mainstream belief in both surviving strands of Second Temple Judaism" (p. 3). In particular, S. exposits the Pseudepigrapha for the purposes of understanding ancient Judaism, resurrection, and the afterlife. These writings include all books of the Second Temple period apart from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, the NT, and other rabbinic material. They are characterized as Testaments, expansions on the Tanakh, wisdom and philosophical literature, prayers, psalms, and odes. Apocryphal writings might also be considered pseudepigraphical, but S. covered these writings in his previous volume. In the first few chapters, S. observes that pseudepigraphical writings that either state or imply a belief in the resurrection refer or allude to the Tanakh as the basis of their faith. Jews rephrased, reshaped, and repurposed the Hebrew Bible to clarify and expand their belief in resurrection. This pattern is found repeatedly throughout the pseudepigraphical writings. S. also considers the ways in which Jews conceived of the posthumous body and how their understandings compare with those in the NT. Sigvartsen is highly organized in outlining the relevant passages that speak about the afterlife and eschatological resurrection. For example, "Each literary work containing a 'life-after-death' view seems to present a unique perspective. … This study identified eighteen distinct and complete views" (p. 209). To be sure, the book provides the reader with several tables to organize the various Jewish understandings of the afterlife. The thesis is that "there is no progression from a basic to a more complex death and resurrection view as multiple levels of complexity are attested throughout this period. … [T]here is no linear [End Page 339] development of the resurrection belief; rather, multiple views co-existed, although an eschatological bodily resurrection belief became the central tenet for both Rabbinic Judaism and the Christian Church" (p. 209). This book is extremely helpful in organizing ancient Jewish conceptions of the afterlife (including the resurrection). One is bound to develop a comprehensive grasp of the entire panoply of Jewish viewpoints concerning the afterlife after reading S.'s two books. Glenn B. Siniscalchi Saint Meinrad Seminary and Graduate School of Theology, Rockport, IN 47577 Copyright © 2022 The Catholic Biblical Association of America

Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Apocrypha and Apocalyptic Literature by Jan A. Sigvartsen

Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Apocrypha and Apocalyptic Literature by Jan A. Sigvartsen

Joseph Ratzinger’s contribution to the interpretation of resurrection belief: The Nicholas Copernicus of Catholic theology

In this contribution, it is argued that Joseph Ratzinger had a profound influence on the Christology and specifically resurrection belief of the Catholic Church. This is evident in the way Ratzinger approached the challenge and relevance of Jesus’ question, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ For Ratzinger, the reality of the incarnatory event means that the Christian faith is about a person, and thus, it is historical as well. In this sense, history for Ratzinger becomes more than just a succession of human events. It also includes God’s act in history. Jesus Christ manifested God concretely. In the same light, for Ratzinger, the Church concretely manifested Jesus Christ. Hence, for Ratzinger, thinking with the Church is essential for a proper exegesis or hermeneutics. Because of that, tradition and Scripture are essential to Ratzinger’s Christological thought. In the teachings of the Church fathers and the lives of the saints, he finds a concrete manifestation of Jesus’ teaching as contained in the New Testament. Thus, his spiritual Christology results from his meditation on the fathers, saints and some contemporary theologians that makes Ratzinger’s Christological thought to be both ancient and new. This contribution highlights a Christological approach that values the historical and brings it into conversation with the theological.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research represents intradisciplinary work within the field of Christian Theology, connecting aspects of Catholic Theology to hermeneutical methodology and what is known as a Christology ‘from above’. It connects a historical and theological perspective within systematic theology to highlight the ways in which the Pope and theologian Joseph Ratzinger influenced resurrection belief within the Catholic Church.

A Visionary Approach: Lynn A. De Silva and The Prospects for Buddhist-Christian Encounter ed. by Elizabeth J. Harris and Perry Schmidt-Leukel

Reviewed by: A Visionary Approach: Lynn A. De Silva and The Prospects for Buddhist-Christian Encounter ed. by Elizabeth J. Harris and Perry Schmidt-Leukel Leo D. Lefebure A VISIONARY APPROACH: LYNN A. DE SILVA AND THE PROSPECTS FOR BUDDHIST-CHRISTIAN ENCOUNTER. Edited by Elizabeth J. Harris and Perry Schmidt-Leukel. Sankt Ottilien: EOS, 2021. 390 pp. This volume presents essays exploring the legacy of Lynn A. de Silva (1919–1982), a Methodist pastor and biblical scholar in Sri Lanka who was an important pioneer of Buddhist-Christian studies. Most of the chapters are based on presentations at the conference of the European Network of Buddhist-Christian Studies that met at the Benedictine Archabbey of St. Ottilien in 2019. Some of the authors, including Wesley Ariarajah, Aloysius Pieris, and Shantha de Silva (youngest son of Lynn de Silva), knew de Silva personally and offer warm tributes to his memory. Other authors work for institutions that carry on the types of projects that de Silva pioneered: Marshal Fernando is the Director of the Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue, which de Silva founded and directed from 1962–1982; Indunil J. Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, who is from Sri Lanka, serves as the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; and Peniel Rajkumar leads the Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation Programme of the World Council of Churches. Some authors examine how de Silva developed and modified his understanding of the relationship between Buddhist and Christian perspectives. In his early work in the 1960s, de Silva responded to Buddhist misunderstandings of Christian faith and practice. In the 1970s, he explored how Buddhist teachings could be related to biblical and Christian perspectives in ways that could enhance Christian faith. Toward the end of his life de Silva pondered the degree to which Buddhist and Christian perspectives could be relativized and harmonized. Benedictine Abbot Petrus Hohensteiger traces the development of de Silva's responses to Buddhist belief in reincarnation. De Silva came to reject traditional Protestant Christian eschatology that teaches that a single lifetime will be followed by eternal heaven or hell; but he also rejected Theravada belief in rebirth. Instead, while remaining a Protestant Christian, he developed a belief in purgatory that allowed for self-purification and growth in sanctity after death. De Silva interpreted Buddhist belief in rebirth and Christian belief in resurrection as symbolic pointers toward a single, shared truth of self-negating, self-emptying love. Andreas Nehring focuses on de Silva's study of Buddhism as a popular religion combining Buddhist perspectives with folk religious practices. Drawing on the critical hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur, Nehring emphasizes the ways in which de Silva's [End Page 403] sympathetic attention to folk Buddhism can shift the dialogue between Buddhists and Christians in positive ways. Gudrun Löwner explores how de Silva turned to visual art and aesthetics to promote mutual understanding between Buddhists and Christians. Amos Yong reflects on de Silva's pneumatological anthropology in conversation with Theravada Buddhists, mentioning the shared effort to find an alternative to eternalism or nihilism. While noting many points of convergence, Yong finds an important difference from Theravada anthropology in de Silva's eschatological interpretation of the corporate and resurrected Spiritual Body of the Apostle Paul. Kurt Gakuro Krammer reflects on how Buddhist-Christian dialogue can change one's understanding of the human being. Observing that most European Buddhists have thus far avoided dialogue, he proposes that de Silva can offer a helpful model of dialogical understanding but also poses the pointed question of whether dialogue has any soteriological impact, such as upon efforts toward social action. This volume is a very important contribution that will be of interest to all persons involved in Buddhist-Christian dialogue. Leo D. Lefebure Georgetown University Copyright © 2022 University of Hawai'i Press

The Reconstruction of Resurrection Belief. By Peter Carnley

The Reconstruction of Resurrection Belief. By <scp>Peter Carnley</scp>

AFTERLIFE AND RESURRECTION BELIEFS IN THE APOCRYPHA AND APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE. By Jan A.Sigvartsen. Jewish and Christian Texts in Contexts and Related Studies 29. London: Bloomsbury T&amp;T Clark, 2019. Pp. xxiv + 300. Hardcover, $130.00AFTERLIFE AND RESURRECTION BELIEFS IN THE PSEUDEPIGRAPHA. By Jan A.Sigvartsen. Jewish and Christian Texts in Contexts and Related Studies 30. London: Bloomsbury T&amp;T Clark, 2019. Pp. xxiv

Religious Studies ReviewVolume 47, Issue 2 p. 238-238 Short Reviews Of Recent Publications: Judaism: Hellenistic Through Late Antiquity AFTERLIFE AND RESURRECTION BELIEFS IN THE APOCRYPHA AND APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE. By Jan A. Sigvartsen. Jewish and Christian Texts in Contexts and Related Studies 29. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2019. Pp. xxiv + 300. Hardcover, $130.00 AFTERLIFE AND RESURRECTION BELIEFS IN THE PSEUDEPIGRAPHA. By Jan A. Sigvartsen. Jewish and Christian Texts in Contexts and Related Studies 30. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2019. Pp. xxiv + 331. Hardcover, $135.00. First published: 08 August 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/rsr.15268Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume47, Issue2June 2021Pages 238-238 RelatedInformation

The Relationship between believing in resurrection and attitudes toward death among elderly people

Background: Since believing in resurrection and life after death exists in all religions, strengthening this belief leads to positive emotional states, increases adaptation to adverse life events, reduces the fear of death and gives a meaning to life. This study was conducted in 2017 to investigate the relationship between believing in resurrection and attitude towards death among the elderly population of Golestan province. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 230 elderly people over 60 years old in Golestan province, Iran. The data collection tool was the standard questionnaire of resurrection belief and attitude towards death. Data were collected by self-reporting method, and then were analyzed by descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Spearman and Kruskal-Wallis correlation coefficient). Results: The score of believing in resurrection was 70.62 + 8.41 and the score of attitude towards death was 128.08 + 16.58 among the samples. Pearson correlation test did not show a significant relationship between believing in resurrection and attitude towards death (r = 0.01, p = 0.9). Conclusion: The results of this study showed no significant relationship between believing in resurrection and attitude towards death among the elderly people. However, since almost everyone believes in resurrection and afterlife, spiritual tendencies become more pronounced in old age. By understanding and strengthening the spiritual needs of elderlies, health care providers can promote mental health, gives a meaning to life and reduce the fear of death in the elderly population. Key words: Believing in resurrection, Attitude towards death, Elderly

Resurrection of the Dead in Early Judaism, 200 BCE–CE 200 by C. D. Elledge

Reviewed by: Resurrection of the Dead in Early Judaism, 200 BCE–CE 200 by C. D. Elledge Glenn B. Siniscalchi c. d. elledge, Resurrection of the Dead in Early Judaism, 200 BCE–CE 200 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019). Pp. xiv + 253. $25. C. D. Elledge’s treatment of early Jewish conceptions of the resurrection and immortality should prove invaluable for future studies on Jewish theology and early Christianity. Focusing on the latest writings of the Hebrew Bible, the Apocrypha (i.e., the deuterocanonical texts), Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, and other Hellenistic Jewish authors, E. stresses the diversity of Jewish perspectives concerning the afterlife in the Second Temple era. Furthermore, Jews had multiple understandings of each view of the afterlife. According to E., “Resurrection is to be defined by the new, qualitatively different life into which the dead are raised. . . . This new, exalted existence, however, is reflected in a wide diversity of expressions within early Jewish literature” (p. 3). E. is also concerned with resituating ancient belief in the eschatological resurrection within the literary settings in which it arose and was sustained. [End Page 336] Elledge maintains that some Jews did not understand resurrection as the revivification of the same body that died. Instead, they thought that resurrection was compatible with certain expressions of belief in the immortality of the soul. E. states, “The varied forms in which resurrection is attested indicate that it was not an exclusive belief that banished all other possible conceptions of the afterlife from consideration. While resurrection made a specialized claim, it was still adaptable to belief in the immortality of the soul and a variety of mythological conceptions about the fate of the dead” (p. 4; cf. 5, 6, 16, 41). Diverse perspectives on the resurrection helped to adapt and accelerate beliefs up to and including the time of Jesus and the nascent church. But it should be emphasized that resurrection was one among many options within an array of viable viewpoints. In this context, some Jews denied the possibility of an afterlife. Although belief in the resurrection remained widespread in the postexilic period, E. argues that it mostly developed from earlier expressions of Judaism and was even spurred on to some degree by external religious influences: “Persian influence may have made it plausible for Judaism to reinterpret the imagery of earlier prophetic texts in a more literalizing way” (p. 53; cf. 58). Similarly, Jews legitimated their belief in the emerging hope of resurrection in several ways. E. summarizes the reasons why it was accepted: “Jews utilized the language of earlier prophecy when describing resurrection . . . they [also] appealed to the paradigm of creation as a precedent for God’s power to ‘re-create’ the human in the resurrection life. . . . Finally, some also insisted that resurrection was an essential, not merely optional, affirmation of divine justice” (p. 66). A major reason why resurrection was promoted and fostered had to do with the experience of hardship, violence, and even martyrdom; resurrection was seen as an answer to the common problem of suffering. Unjustified suffering may seem to have the last word in human affairs, but Jews said that Yhwh would reward and raise the dead. Toward the end of the book, E. discusses the relevant passages in the Book of Watchers, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Josephus. An analysis of Watchers indicates that physical, earthly conceptions of resurrection developed much earlier than is usually recognized. As he says, “One is likely, therefore, to avoid any tendency to regard the interim state as an exclusively later development. Instead, the interim state in the Book of Watchers suggests a much earlier and more intimate connection to the idea of resurrection itself, as its authors imagined cosmic landscapes for both the present state of the dead and their future judgment” (p. 147). Finally, E. blends together his lessons on Jewish conceptions of resurrection as background material for understanding the Pauline Epistles. Recognizing the wide range of views on the afterlife that prevailed in Judaism, E. affirms that the NT writers expressed their belief in the bodily resurrection in “strikingly new ways” (p. 202). Resurrection became a focal point of their religious belief; Christians held that one man was raised...

A History of Death in the Hebrew Bible

A History of Death in the Hebrew Bible

The politics of hope: privilege, despair and political theology

Abstract Situated within feminist Christian Realism, this article looks at what political theology is and its relevance to International Relations. Hope is a central theme to political theology, underpinning the necessity to be witness to and to work against oppressive structures. Simply put, hope is the desire to make life better. For Christians, this hope stems from a belief in resurrection of Christ and the faith that such redemption is offered to all of humanity. Hope, however, is not limited to Christianity and, therefore, Christian theology. Thus, taking an intersectional approach, the article looks for similarities in how hope is articulated in three personal narratives: theologian Jürgen Moltmann, UK Muslim advocate Asim Qureshi, and Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors. Across all three personal narratives, the need for hope begins in a place of despair, signalling a need to recognize that hope and privilege are in tension with one another. Feminist Christian Realism acknowledges and embraces this tension, recognizing that hope cannot function if the pain, oppression and harm caused by privilege are erased or minimized.

The Philosophical Appraisal of Masquerading in Igbo Social Milieu and the Christian Theology of the Resurrection of the Body: An Analytic Investigation

In every culture, there is a distinct figure or attribute which is held in high regard and at a sacred admiration in that culture which may not likely be so in other cultures. The culture of the people has been identified as the people's way of living. It is a phenomenon that is held in a respectful status which passes from one generation to another, as each generation of the people owes it as a sacred duty and obligation to retain and preserve the culture and transmit it undiluted to the upcoming generation. In every cultural setting, there are agents of socialization. These agents of socialization are greatly levied with the burden of passing this cultural heritage to the next generation. The agents may be families, age-grade, Umu-Ada, Nze-na-Ozo, Council of elders, Priest and Priestess of the gods. The above highlights are true and also peculiar to the Igbo social milieu. Masquerading is one of the significant cultural heritage of the Igbo people. Though, people of other cultures, especially the western cultures may see masquerading as a played out a script for fun; masquerading in the Igbo social milieu means more than mere fun as it invokes the ancestral spirits of the ancestors and has Igbo religious rites and rituals involved in it. This paper tends to do a philosophical appraisal of the concept of masquerading in the Igbo social milieu and will also advance a discourse on the theology of the resurrection of the body (a belief held by Christians); reason is that there is a claim of similarities between the belief in resurrection of the body and that of masquerading in Igbo social milieu. The paper will achieve the general objectives via the use of an analytic investigation. Keywords : Masquerading, Social milieu, Culture, Cultural heritage, Resurrection, Belief, Philosophical DOI: 10.7176/JPCR/48-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

A Comparative Analysis on the Perspective of Sunni Theology and Hindu Tradition Regarding Euthanasia: The Impact of Belief in Resurrection and Reincarnation

The aim of this paper was to study the viewpoints of Sunni Islam and Hinduism on euthanasia to explore whether the Sunni tradition's belief in the hereafter and the Hindu culture's faith in reincarnation have any impact on these two religions' positions on the rejection or justification of euthanasia. Examining these two theologies' approaches demonstrated that Sunni Islam considers euthanasia suicide/homicide in light of the belief in the hereafter, whereas Hinduism can justify euthanasia through Gandhi's interpretation of ahimsa, on the condition that all methods to alleviate the patient's pain andsufferinghave been exhausted.

Being-towards-Eternity: R. Isaac Hutner’s Adaptation of a Heideggerian Notion

Abstract In his writings, Rabbi Isaac Hutner integrated various insights from secular philosophy and particularly from existentialist thought. Concerns regarding temporality, authenticity, and death permeate his thought. This article deals with what we call “being-towards-eternity,” a modification of Martin Heidegger’s “being-towards-death,” through which Hutner seeks to reconcile genuine anxiety in the face of finitude with an unwavering belief in resurrection and life after death. Hutner’s appropriation and adaptation of this Heideggerian notion demonstrates how he adopted secular ideas while cautiously remaining within the boundaries of traditional Jewish concerns and vocabulary.

The New Life of the Good Souls in Josephus: Resurrection or Reincarnation?

AbstractThis study examines four Josephan passages discussing souls entering a new body or life. It argues that research on this issue can be advanced from the conclusion by several scholars that despite the language of reincarnation it is really the belief in resurrection that underlies Josephus’s accounts. The key findings include: Josephus does not directly characterize the new life as a reward, and the fact that its recipients are good souls does not contradict reincarnation. The descriptions of the new body inb.j.are in all respects easier to reconcile with reincarnation than resurrection. The expression ἐκ περιτροπῆς (αἰώνων) is best understood as referring to (cyclical) recurrence. The Josephan version of re-embodiment that emerges has many exact similarities with accounts of reincarnation but only a few general ones with resurrection. The thesis that Josephus’s real referent is resurrection is implausible.

Resurrection and Death From Rabbinic Understandings to the Theology of Edward Schillebeeckx

My paper will explore the understanding of death and resurrection in Judaism through the selections from biblical and rabbinic corpus and reflect on its relevance to Catholic theology on the same subject matter. The diverse, unsystematic, and contextual characters of Jewish remarks on death and resurrection suggest that these remarks are rooted in the more fundamental concern regarding covenantal relationship and ethical living. Resurrection is mostly presented as an extended reflection of Jewish concern for the justice and righteousness in this world, following the traditional Jewish hermeneutical principle “kal vahomer.” Death, likewise, is understood as indicative of the condition of the living world as well as contributive to the development of Jewish religious traditions and identities. Thus, in Judaism, death is neither completely negative nor utterly overshadowed by the sure hope of resurrection. In some significant ways, the Jewish understanding of death and resurrection correspond to 20th century catholic theological reflections. Edward Schillebeeckx, for example, suggests that belief in resurrection does not argue away the realty of death but rather let death be death. As a free gift of God to those who trust, resurrection makes sense of human death, rather than simply declaring it powerless or inconsequential. Thus, Schillebeeckx asserts that it is important to focus not just on Jesus's final resurrection but also on Jesus’ entire life which led up to his death. Jesus’ death itself is an invitation to the participation of Jesus’ entire life, and is therefore also a hermeneutical opening for the development of Christian religious traditions and identities. In conclusion, though Jesus’ death and resurrection are unprecedented and unparalleled revelations, they should not supersede a Jewish understanding of death and resurrection or render them primitive. Rather, death and resurrection are a signature component of the common root of Christianity and Judaism.

Reading the Areopagus Speech in Acts 17 from the Perspective of Sacral Manumission of Slaves in Ancient Greece

This article suggests that the metaphor of Paul as seed-picker who gathers dirt from the market in Athens (Acts 17:18) is part of the broad slave metaphor found in Greco-Roman literature and in the New Testament. The stigma of depersonalization, desocialization, and religious marginalization is attached to enslavement. Slaves are excluded from authentic personhood. The article explores the rhetoric in Paul's Areopagus speech. It demonstrates Pauline influence on the narrative in Luke-Acts. The essence of the Areopagus speech is the universal unity of humanity and the life-giving effect of the resurrection belief. Building on the notions of fictive kinship and quasi-kinship the article compares the practice of sacral manumission for slaves with that of manumissio in ecclesia.