Christian Eschatology (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Christian Teachings about Life After Death

Christianity and Life After Death

• The word eschatology means ‘end times’ and can refer to the end of someone’s life or the end of the world

• All Christians believe there is an afterlife for those people who believe in God

• Christians believe that each person has a soul

  • This means that although the physical body dies, the soul can live on after death

• Many Christians believe that when you die God will judge you and decide if you should go to heaven or hell

• Although all Christians believe there is life after death, there are different beliefs about what happens when you die

  • Some Christians do not believe in hell as they do not believe that an omnibenevolent God would send people to hell

  • Some Christians do not see heaven or hell as places but instead as ‘states of mind’

  • Some Christians called Roman Catholics believe in Purgatory,a place where sins are punished and Purification takes place before Heaven

The Bible and Life After Death

Biblical Teachings on Life After Death

• Many sections of the Bible refer to life after death 

• The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is perhaps the most significant 

  • Christians believe that the resurrection of Jesus proves that there is life after death

• Christians believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus was a sacrifice so that mankind can be forgiven and have everlasting life

• The Bible also teaches Christians that life after death is a reward for the way we behave in life

  • The Bible teaches that there will be a judgement at death and that God will choose the destination of every soul

• This makes many Christians believe in Heaven and Hell as places of eternal reward or punishment

• Heaven is mentioned in the Bible but there is very little description of what it is like

  • Some Christians believe heaven is a physical place, but most believe it to be a spiritual state of being where humans are united with God

  • The Bible describes heaven as a place without sin or suffering or sadness

• Hell is also mentioned in the bible as a place where unrepentant sinners go after death

  • It is described as a place of pain and suffering, with an absence of God

• Biblical teachings on heaven and hell affect the way that Christians live their lives

The Importance of Biblical Teachings on Christians Today

• Biblical teachings on life after death impact how Christians live their lives

• The Christian faith believes that humans have a responsibility to behave in the correct, moral way expected of them as outlined in the Bible including

  • Following rules, such as the Ten Commandments

  • Practising the teachings of Jesus, such as forgiveness and kindness

• Christianity teaches that all behaviour that will be judged and that will be used to determine what happens to people in the afterlife

• Christians believe that all humans have free will and are therefore able to make their own decisions about how to act

  • It is important for people to use the free will given to them by God in a wise way and avoid committing sins

  • As a result of this free will, humans are able to choose right from wrong and therefore can sin if they choose to do so

  • The idea of free will is found in Genesis where Adam and Eve, the first humans, are given the Garden of Eden to live in

    • God asks one requirement of them, and that is not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge

    • Eve and Adam disobey this commandment, and God then punishes the couple accordingly

    • Christians believe that they too have choices in life and that they must endeavour to make the correct choices as outlined in the Bible