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Reflections on Life After Death: Fantasy or Reality?

Explore beliefs on afterlife from Fayoum Portraits in Egypt to contrasting views in Victorian Britain and Ancient Materialists to Christianity's Resurrection and Hell concepts. Can a loving God send people to eternal Hell? Various theological perspectives discussed.

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Reflections on Life After Death: Fantasy or Reality?

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  1. LIFE AFTER DEATH REALITY OR FANTASY?

  2. The Fayoum PortraitsEgypt, 2C AD

  3. The Fayoum Portraits • The portraits were attached to burial mummies at the face, from which almost all have now been detached. • It is thought that they were painted in life and displayed in the home until needed in death. • Most of the portraits depict the deceased at a relatively young age, and many show children. According to Walker (2000), "CAT scans of all the complete mummies represented reveal a correspondence of age and, in suitable cases, sex between mummy and image." • Walker concludes that the age distribution reflects the low life expectancy at the time.

  4. Death was a daily occurrence “Irene to Taonnophris and Philon, greeting. I was as much grieved and shed as many tears over Eumoiros as I shed for Didymus. I did everything that was fitting and so did my whole family. But still there is nothing one can do in the face of such trouble. So I leave you to comfort yourselves. Farewell.” 2nd Century papyrus

  5. The Example of Victorian Britain • Early death was the norm in society • In Wales in the 1870’s 14 out of every 100 newborn babies did not survive their first year • In Manchester in the 1850’s life expectancy at birth was only 32 years • In London in the 1840’s one third of all children died before their fifth birthday • It was not unusual for children to lose one or both parents through death, and many Victorian children grew up in single-parent families, or were looked after by relatives. • This contributed to strong beliefs in an afterlife.

  6. Ancient Materialists • “Suns may set and rise again; but we, when once our brief light goes down, there is one unending night to be slept through”(Catullus, a Roman poet). • “No-one awakes and arises who has once been overtaken by the chilling end of life” (Lucretius, a Roman poet). • “Hopes are among the living; the dead are without hope”(Theocritus, a Greek poet). • “Alas! Alas!... these (plants in the garden) live and spring again in another year; but we…when we die, deaf to all sound in the hollow earth, sleep a long, long, endless sleep that knows no waking.” (Moschus, a Greek poet).

  7. Contrasting World Views • I WAS NOT; I BECAME; I AM NOT; I CARE NOT. (pagan Roman tomb inscription, 2C AD) • I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8 – common early Christian funerary inscription)

  8. Christianity • Spirit – invisible part of man • Soul – breath, natural life • Body – the organism • Death • separation of soul from body • separation of soul from God • Death is never extinguishment of being • Therefore, the soul is not ‘immortal’ • Plato & Rene Descartes

  9. Christianity • What happens after death? • The body is buried • The spirit returns to God • The soul goes to the intermediate state • For Christians • The soul goes to be with Christ • The body sleeps in the earth to await the resurrection • For non Christians • The soul goes to Hades • The body sleeps in the earth to await the resurrection

  10. Christianity • The Resurrection • This is a once for all event for all humanity • Some will be resurrected to eternal life; some to eternal punishment • Christ’s resurrection guarantees the Christian’s resurrection • Therefore, resurrection is based on the truth of the resurrection of Christ – he appeared to various reliable witnesses • The soul will be reunited with a transformed body that is eternal in character

  11. Christianity • Hell • The day of judgement • Sheol – (Heb) - the intermediate state • Hades – (Gk) - the intermediate state • In Jewish theology Hades was two tier (Luke 16) • The righteous went to Paradise • The unrighteous went to a place of torments • Tartarus - (Gk) the place for the very wicked • Gehenna – (Heb) - Hell proper • The biblical “lake of fire” • Named after the valley of Hinnom

  12. Christianity Can a God of love send people to an eternal Hell? The traditional concept of Hell is questioned for • Its crude imagery • Its literal existence (“hell is other people” – Jean Paul Sartre) • Its deficient justice • How can a God of Love justify torturing men & women? • How can God justify an eternal punishment for finite sins? • How can God consign those who have never heard the gospel to an eternity of suffering? • How can God disregard the many good things Non-Christian people have done?

  13. Christianity Various solutions • Hell is a metaphor – for separation from God • Hell is mythical – hell is what we make of our lives in the here & now • All bad people are annihilated at death -Annihilationism • The unrepentant are destroyed at the final judgement - Conditional Immortality • All bad people are given a second chance -- once they see what hell is like, they will repent • All bad people pay a limited price and then are promoted to heaven - Purgatory • Everyone will be saved – NT says that Jesus is the saviour of all (1 Tim 4:10) – Universalism

  14. Christianity • A gentler, kinder damnation – God will somehow find a way to save everyone • Idea is based on the love of God, but • What about God’s justice? • Separation of God’s attributes • Makes light of God’s wrath • Devalues heinousness of sin • What value in the death of Christ?

  15. Hinduism • Circular concept of time • Reincarnation – ‘in flesh again’ - sansara • Resurrection • New Birth • Release from sansara by moksha – enlightenment • Karma – balance of good and evil acts • Dharma – what is right

  16. Hinduism

  17. Hinduism

  18. Hinduism • Differences between Hinduism and Christianity • No personal God – Brahman is ultimate reality • No concept of sin and punishment – what about karma? • No redemption, no immediate hope of betterment • No heaven, no hell • Aim is nihilism rather than communion with deity

  19. Hinduism • Hinduism’s resonance with post modern society • Many ways to ultimate reality • No absolute standards of behaviour – dharma differs between individuals • But, Hinduism’s less appealing side • The caste system • Fatalism • Callousness to the poor

  20. Is it possible to know? • Does believing something make it true (postmodernism), or is the truth worth believing in (modernism)? • Are there personal ‘truths’ which can’t be proven, or substantiated? • If there are, is David Icke right when he declares that a reptile conspiracy rules the world? • If there aren’t, what would constitute proof?

  21. Evidences for the afterlife • Atheism – no possibility of proof • Christianity – the resurrection of Jesus • Hinduism – the nature of the cosmos • Ghosts • Past life remembrances • Near Death Experiences • Spiritualism – mediums

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