• QUESTION:
  What grounds for hope of life after death are offered by the Bible and by our faith tradition? Will we lose our personality in the resurrection? And how do concepts around the resurrection of the body fit in with the idea of an immortal soul?
  – Duston James Lopez

ANSWER: Jacob Parappally MSFS

 The Bible and Christian faith tradition offer several grounds for hope in life after death. This hope is based on the revelation of God, who promises eternal life, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and the divine plan to reconcile all things in Him. The Christian belief in resurrection, including the resurrection of the body, is rooted in Old Testament revelation. However, it must be acknowledged that the belief in life after death entered Hebrew religious consciousness centuries after the formation of Israel as “God’s chosen people.” Initially, earthly prosperity—wealth, family, servants, fertile land, and livestock—was seen as the ultimate fulfilment of human life, beyond which nothing more was expected. Belief in resurrection and the immortality of the soul emerged in later Hebrew theological thought, eventually becoming a core doctrine.

In Jewish tradition, it is believed that when the Messianic age arrives, the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, Jews from all over the world will gather there, and the dead will rise with their bodies reunited with their souls. According to Talmudic tradition, bodies buried outside Israel will be brought through a tunnel to Israel, leading some Jews to seek burial in Israel. At least two Talmudic sources state that the dead will be revived wearing the same clothes they were buried in. The immortality of the soul is mentioned explicitly in the books of Isaiah and Daniel. The book of Job also hints at a belief in the afterlife: “After my skin has been thus destroyed, then from my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another!” (Job 19:26-27). The book of Daniel speaks of life beyond the grave, saying, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan 12:2). The prophets Isaiah and Hosea also have reference to the immortality of the soul: “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise … I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes” (Isa 26:19, Hos 13:14). The Wisdom of Solomon adds, “For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be the image of His own eternity” (2:23). Greek philosophical ideas, particularly the view of humans as body and soul, influenced the Old Testament, especially in wisdom literature, where the idea of the immortal soul developed. The Jewish belief in bodily resurrection and life after death also influenced Christian teachings on resurrection.

• Christian Belief in the Resurrection

Christian belief in the resurrection is founded on the testimony of Jesus’ disciples, who witnessed the risen Christ. This resurrection experience transformed them, leading them to proclaim boldly that Jesus was alive after His crucifixion, death, and burial. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul recounts the testimony he received about those who encountered the risen Jesus and his own experience of Christ’s appearance to him, one among five hundred witnesses. Paul writes, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve” (1 Cor 15:3-6), and finally to him (1 Cor 15:8). He continues, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Cor 15:12-15). Thus, Christian faith is rooted in Jesus’ resurrection, revealing Him as the Word made flesh, Lord, and God. As Paul preaches, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Jesus is the “first fruit of resurrection,” guaranteeing that others will also rise. Christian faith holds that all are alive in Christ, whether living or deceased. For a believer, death is not the end but a bend in the road.

• Resurrection of the Body

Paul addresses questions about bodily resurrection in his first letter to the Corinthians. Using analogies, he explains, “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:42-44). Just as a seed grows into a plant that resembles yet is distinct from the seed, so is the relationship between the natural body and the resurrected body. This teaching is reaffirmed by Church Fathers and official Church doctrine, as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states, “‘We believe in the true resurrection of this flesh that we now possess’ (Council of Lyons II). We sow a corruptible body in the tomb, but He raises up an incorruptible body, a ‘spiritual body’” (CCC 1017).

The teachings of the Church, as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, are based on the Christian profession of faith in the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene and Constantinopolitan Creeds, and on the teachings of the Fathers of the Church, as well as the infallible teachings of Church councils and popes. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) infallibly defined that, at the Second Coming, Jesus “will judge the living and the dead, to render to every person according to his works, both to the reprobate and to the elect. All of them will rise with their own bodies, which they now wear, so as to receive according to their deserts, whether these be good or bad [Rom. 2:6–11]” (Constitution 1). In the Apostles’ Creed, we profess, “I believe… in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.”

The Hebrew theological understanding sees humans as whole persons created in the image and likeness of God, with no separation between body and soul. In English, we use words like “somebody,” “nobody,” and “everybody” to refer to human persons. When we say “some-body is coming,” we don’t mean that a body is coming but a person. When we say “she is a good soul,” it means she is a good person. Therefore, a meaningful prayer for the dead is not to pray for the soul of somebody, but to pray for the departed person. So, it is better to say, “may she/he rest in peace,” rather than “may her/his soul rest in peace.” It is more meaningful to affirm the immortality of the person rather than the immortality of the soul, as is often done.

Clement of Rome, around AD 150, stated, “Let none of you say that this flesh is not judged and does not rise again. Just think: In what state were you saved, and in what state did you recover your [spiritual] sight, if not in the flesh? In the same manner, as you were called in the flesh, so you shall come in the flesh.” Justin Martyr affirmed this, asking, “Is the soul by itself a man? No, it is but the soul of a man. Can the body be called a man? No, it can but be called the body of a man. If, then, neither of these is by itself a man, but that which is composed of the two together is called a man, and if God has called man to life and resurrection, he has called not a part, but the whole, which is the soul and the body” (The Resurrection 8, AD 153).

The resurrection of the body was a theme reflected upon by many other Fathers of the Church and saints. Theophilus of Antioch asserted, “God will raise up your flesh immortal with your soul.” Irenaeus similarly professed, “For the Church, although dispersed throughout the whole world even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and from their disciples the faith in . . . the raising up again of all flesh of all humanity” (Against Heresies 1:10:1–4). Tertullian also upheld the belief in the resurrection of the flesh, stating, “Therefore, the flesh shall rise again: certainly, of every man, certainly the same flesh, and certainly in its entirety” (The Resurrection of the Dead 63:1).

Cyril of Jerusalem further explained, “This body shall be raised, not remaining weak as it is now, but this same body shall be raised. By putting on incorruption, it shall be altered, as iron blending with fire becomes fire—or rather, in a manner the Lord who raises us knows. However, it will be, this body shall be raised, but it shall not remain such as it is. Rather, it shall abide as an eternal body. It shall no longer require for its life such nourishment as now, nor shall it require a ladder for its ascent; for it shall be made a spiritual body, a marvellous thing, such as we have not the ability to describe” (Catechetical Lectures 18:18). Cyril’s explanation comes very close to Paul’s insights into the resurrection of the dead.

• Misconceptions about the Resurrection of the Dead

For many Christian believers, the affirmation of faith in “the resurrection of the body” means the restoration of the same body with which a person dies. Creedal statements, magisterial teachings, and the theological reflections of the Fathers of the Church and theologians give believers this impression. When Paul speaks of the “spiritual body,” ordinary believers often understand it as a physical body rather than something immaterial. They imagine a resurrected body like that of the risen Christ who, according to the Gospel narratives, ate with the disciples. The disciples could see, converse with, touch, and feel the risen Lord. Are the evangelists lying? Certainly not! They are telling the truth that they experienced Jesus alive after his death, using language and imagery understandable to the Jewish people, who did not think of humans as composed of body and soul, matter and spirit, in the way the Greeks—and many Christians who think in Greek categories—do. For the Hebrews, the human body represents the entire human person. If dead persons come back to life, they must have their body. The only difference between the resuscitated Lazarus and the resurrected Jesus is that the former would die again, while the latter cannot die but lives forever.

The body of the resurrected Jesus is not to be understood as a physical body but as a glorious, transformed body that is not limited by space and time. Because Jesus’ resurrected body was not a physical body, he could enter closed doors and greet his disciples. John 20:19 says, “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” In John’s account, it is clear that the risen Jesus does not have a physical body. But in Luke, we read, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence” (Luke 24:39-43). In Luke’s narration, it is clear that he has a physical body. Are these contradictions? How should we understand these differing accounts of the risen Jesus? Simply put, the evangelists are sharing their experience that the crucified and dead Jesus is alive, using imagery that both Jews and Gentiles would understand.

The evangelists present Jesus as alive in a way the Jews could understand. For them, someone who returned to life after death must have a physical body with hunger and thirst. Since Jesus was wounded and crucified, he should bear the marks of his wounds. This raises the question of the physical body of Jesus after death. In faith, we can affirm that his body was transformed into a glorious body. For the Greeks, if someone comes back to life, they should be a spirit because, in their view, humans are composed of matter and spirit, or body and soul. So, Jesus came back to life as a spiritual reality transcending space and time, which is why he could enter locked doors. The transformative experience of Jesus’ resurrection was such that it could only be explained to the Jews and Gentiles the evangelists were addressing in ways they could understand. The truth of Jesus’ resurrection is that he is alive. It is similar to explaining heaven. When one explains heaven to children, youth, and adults, different words, expressions, and symbols are used according to the age of those being addressed, even though, as Paul says, no one has ever seen or heard or conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. Still, we use narratives to communicate that heaven is the fulfilment of human life, an eternal life of joy and contentment. The Gospel accounts of the resurrection are similar: the truth that Jesus is alive is communicated through symbols, imagery, and words that would be understandable to the audience.

• Meaning of the Resurrection of the Body

The doctrines and dogmas of the Church are generally articulated in Greek philosophical categories. Because of this, the Greek dichotomy of body and soul entered into Christian thought and prayer. The Hebrew theological understanding sees humans as whole persons created in the image and likeness of God, with no separation between body and soul. In English, we use words like “somebody,” “nobody,” and “everybody” to refer to human persons. When we say “some-body is coming,” we don’t mean that a body is coming but a person. When we say “she is a good soul,” it means she is a good person. Therefore, a meaningful prayer for the dead is not to pray for the soul of somebody, but to pray for the departed person. So, it is better to say, “may she/he rest in peace,” rather than “may her/his soul rest in peace.” It is more meaningful to affirm the immortality of the person rather than the immortality of the soul, as is often done.

In Christian theology, resurrection affirms that our individuality and essence persist in a glorified state beyond physical death. This “spiritual body,” as Paul describes, assures us that we are transformed, not just revived. In this light, the believers need to see resurrection as the restoration of the person in fullness, rather than a return to a past physical form. This perspective deepens the meaning of eternal life which is nothing but a life of communion with the Triune God through the glorious humanity of Christ!

When we say we believe in the resurrection of the body, which body are we referring to? The physical body of a person undergoes many changes throughout life before departing this world. It is scientifically shown that one million cells die every second in a person’s body, or about 1.2 kilograms of cells die every day, and new cells are being formed. If cells multiplied without the death of old cells, it would result in cancer. Thus, the final body with which one dies has no claim to resurrection, having gone through thousands of mutations. For centuries, Christians were only buried, not cremated, due to the belief in the resurrection of the body. Cremation was allowed only recently, and the COVID pandemic made it a necessity. All of this is due to misunderstandings of religious language. Resurrection of the body means the resurrection of the person created in the image and likeness of God. The inability of humans to imagine a person without a physical body does not mean that the “spiritual body” given by God beyond death is not real. No human language can adequately express profound spiritual experiences like resurrection and God’s wonderful works among humans.

In Christian theology, resurrection affirms that our individuality and essence persist in a glorified state beyond physical death. This “spiritual body,” as Paul describes, assures us that we are transformed, not just revived. In this light, the believers need to see resurrection as the restoration of the person in fullness, rather than a return to a past physical form. This perspective deepens the meaning of eternal life which is nothing but a life of communion with the Triune God through the glorious humanity of Christ!