Different Interpretations of the Afterlife

Heaven, Hell & Purgatory as Actual Places

One interpretation of the afterlife is that heaven, hell and purgatory are actual places where a person goes after death.

Actual places

In this interpretation of the afterlife, heaven, hell and purgatory are actual places where a person may go after death.
- In heaven, an individual experiences physical and emotional happiness.
- In hell, an individual experiences punishment.
- In purgatory, an individual experiences purification.

Heaven as an actual place

Saint Thomas Aquinas spoke of heaven as a beatific vision.
He described it as the state of eternal happiness when we come face to face with God.
- It is seen as a relationship of love, peace and joy, a time when those in heaven will live in perfect harmony and be at peace.

Christians & heaven

Christians also believe that at the end of time, the dead will be resurrected as Jesus Christ was.
God will bring Christians back to life physically. So, Christians believe in a literal, physical resurrection.
- It says in the Creed that: ‘We believe in the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come.’
Jesus was raised from the dead in a physical body which could be touched and could eat food.
As such, the Blessed will physically rise from the dead.

Hell as an actual place

The Biblical story of Lazarus and the rich man is a well-known parable of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke.
Lazarus is a poor man who begged the rich man for help on numerous occasions. The rich man chose not to help Lazarus.
When the two men die, Lazarus ends up in heaven and the rich man ends up in hell.
- 'The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side [Heaven]. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades [Hell], where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.' (Luke 16)

Quotes about hell

In the book of Revelation, the image is of a ‘burning lake of fiery sulphur’.
The Catechism quotes, ‘Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell’.

Purgatory as an actual place

Purgatory is seen to be a place of cleansing where people will have their sins forgiven.
Catholics on earth can pray for the sins of the deceased to be cleansed, in the hope they will end up in heaven.
In the Bible it states:
- ‘The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven.' (Rev. 21:27)

Heaven, Hell & Purgatory as Spiritual Places or Symbols

Other interpretations of the afterlife see heaven, hell and purgatory as spiritual places or symbols.

Spiritual states

The Catholic Church teaches about the immortality of the soul.
- This is the belief that after death our souls will either go to heaven, hell or purgatory.
The soul is often described as the non-physical essence of a person.

Heaven as a spiritual state

Pope John Paul II was an advocate of heaven as a spiritual state.
He explains that trying to work out which senses, if any, would work in heaven seems ridiculous.
- 'The 'heaven' or 'happiness' in which we will find ourselves is neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. It is our meeting with the Father which takes place in the risen Christ through the communion of the Holy Spirit.'

Papal infallibility

Pope John Paul II's view implies that it is absurd to discuss physical senses being used in an afterlife.
The pope is the leader of the Catholic Church and is seen to be infallible.
Infallibility belongs in a special way to the pope as head of the bishops (Matt. 16:17–19; John 21:15–17).
- Papal infallibility is a doctrine that the pope cannot be wrong when teaching matters of faith or morality.
- This is because the pope acts as the supreme teacher of Roman Catholic theology.

Hell & purgatory as spiritual states

If heaven is to be interpreted as a spiritual place, so then must hell.
Under this interpretation, hell would be seen as alienation from God which is punishment enough.
- Second Thessalonians 1:9 refers to hell as 'exclusion from the face of God.'
Under this interpretation, purgatory is seen as the continual mental struggle to achieve a state of perfection.
- It is not a physical place where the soul is purified by fire.

Symbolic heaven & hell

Another interpretation sees heaven, hell and purgatory as symbols of a person’s spiritual and moral life on Earth.
- This view would be held by those with little faith or belief in God.
Under this interpretation, heaven, hell and purgatory are seen to be a symbol of a person's life on Earth.
- Heaven may represent the individual's happiness. This would be both personal happiness and happiness in their interactions with people.
- Hell would represent an individual's torment whilst on Earth.

Symbolic purgatory

Dewi Zephaniah Phillips was an anti-realist about religious matters.
He did not believe in the actual existence of God.
Phillips would see purgatory in the same way.
- He would argue purgatory is a symbol of our difficult mental struggle to be perfect.
- But this relates to our struggle in this life, not in an afterlife for which there is no physical proof.

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.1.1Plato's Understanding of Reality

1.1.2Plato's Theory of Forms

1.1.3Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.4The Purpose of Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.5Evaluation of Plato's Theories

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.2.1Aristotle's Understanding of Reality

1.2.2Aristotle's Four Causes

1.2.3Aristotle's Prime Mover

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.3.1Plato & Aristotle's Views of the Soul

1.3.2Metaphysics of Consciousness

1.3.3Materialism - Ryle’s Philosophical Behaviourism

1.3.4Materialism - Identity Theory

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.4.1The Teleological Argument - Aquinas' Fifth Way

1.4.2The Teleological Argument - Paley & Evolution

1.4.3The Cosmological Argument

1.4.4Hume's Criticisms: Teleological & Cosmological

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.5.1The Ontological Argument

1.5.2Criticisms of the Ontological Argument

1.6Religious Experience

1.6.1Introduction to Religious Experience

1.6.2Mystical Experience

1.6.3Conversion Experience

1.6.4Understanding Religious Experience

1.6.5Issues Relating to Religious Experience - Validity

1.6.6Issues Relating to Religious Experiences - People

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.7.1Presentations of the Problems of Evil

1.7.2Discussion Points -

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.8.1Omnipotence

1.8.2Omniscience

1.8.3Boethius - Divine Knowledge, Free Will & Eternity

1.8.4(Omni)benevolence

1.8.5Eternity & Free Will

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.9.1Apophatic & Cataphatic Way

1.9.2Symbol

1.9.3Discussion Points: Religious Language

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

1.10.1Logical Positivism & Verification Principle

1.10.2Wittgenstein

1.10.3Falsification Symposium: Flew & Hare

1.10.4Falsification Symposium: Mitchell

1.10.5Discussion Points: Verification & Falsification

1.10.6Discussion Points: Aquinas vs Wittgenstein

2Religion & Ethics

2.1Natural Law

2.1.1St Thomas Aquinas - Telos & Four Tiers of Law

2.1.2St Thomas Aquinas - Precepts

2.1.3St Thomas Aquinas - Real & Apparent Goods

2.1.4Discussion Points - Natural Law & Doing Good

2.1.5Discussion Points - Telos & Double Effect Doctrine

2.2Situation Ethics

2.2.1Fletcher's Situation Ethics

2.2.2Fletcher's Concept of Conscience

2.2.3Discussion Points: Moral Decision-Making

2.2.4Discussion Points - Agape

2.3Kantian Ethics

2.3.1Introduction to Kantian Ethics & Duty

2.3.2Hypothetical & Categorical Imperative

2.3.3Summum Bonum & Three Postulates

2.3.4Discussion Points: Kantian Ethics

2.4Utilitarianism

2.4.1The Utility Principle

2.4.2Act & Rule Utilitarianism

2.4.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism

2.5Euthanasia

2.5.1Key Concepts for Euthanasia Debates

2.5.2Discussion Points: Natural Law & Situation Ethics

2.5.3Discussion Points: Sanctity of Life

2.5.4Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention

2.6Business Ethics

2.6.1Corporate Social Responsibility & Whistle-Blowing

2.6.2Good Ethics & Globalisation

2.6.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism & Kantian Ethics

2.6.4Discussion Points: CSR, Globalisation & Capitalism

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.1.1Human Nature

3.1.2Original Sin & God's Grace

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.2.1Heaven, Hell, & Purgatory

3.2.2Different Interpretations of the Afterlife

3.2.3Election

3.2.4The Final Judgement

3.2.5Discussion Points: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.3.1Natural Knowledge

3.3.2Revealed Knowledge in Faith, Grace, & Jesus Christ

3.3.3Revealed Knowledge in the Bible & Church

3.3.4Discussion Points: Reason & Belief in God

3.3.5Discussion Points: The Fall & Trust in God

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.4.1Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God

3.4.2Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Teacher of Wisdom

3.4.3Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Liberator

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.5.1The Bible & Love

3.5.2Bible, Church & Reason

3.5.3Discussion Points: Christian Ethics

3.5.4Discussion Points: Love & the Bible

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.6.1Dietrich Bonhoeffer & the Confessing Church

3.6.2Bonhoeffer & Civil Disobedience

3.6.3Bonhoeffer's Teaching on Ethics as Action

3.6.4Discussion Points: Civil Disobedience & Bonhoeffer

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.7.1Pluralism & Theology: Exclusivism & Inclusivism

3.7.2Pluralism & Theology: Pluralism

3.7.3Discussion Points: Salvation

3.7.4Discussion Points: Pluralism Undermining Beliefs

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.8.1Development of Multi-Faith Societies

3.8.2Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue

3.8.3The Scriptural Reasoning Movement

3.8.4Discussion Points: Social Cohesion & Scripture

3.8.5Discussion Points: Conversion

3.9Gender & Society

3.9.1Waves of Feminism

3.9.2Traditional Christian Views on Gender Roles

3.9.3Christian Views on Gender Roles & Family

3.9.4Discussion Points: Secular Views of Gender

3.9.5Discussion Points: Motherhood & Family

3.10Gender & Theology

3.10.1Rosemary Radford Ruether

3.10.2Mary Daly

3.10.3Discussion Points: Ruether & Daly

3.10.4Discussion Points: Male Saviour & Female God

3.11Challenges

3.11.1Secularism - Sigmund Freud

3.11.2Secularism - Richard Dawkins

3.11.3Christianity & Public Life

3.11.4Discussion Points: Spiritual Values

3.11.5Discussion Points: Social Values & Opportunities

3.11.6Karl Marx

3.11.7Liberation Theology

Jump to other topics