Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Next revision | Previous revision | ||
standard_church_of_england_teaching [2020/11/11 18:17] 127.0.0.1 external edit |
standard_church_of_england_teaching [2020/11/23 10:28] maxine |
||
---|---|---|---|
Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
[[http:// | [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | == Anglican view on Death == | ||
+ | |||
+ | The reality is that Anglicans believe all sorts of things! Although there is an Anglican orthodoxy, - which we will try to present here - if you asked a dozen Anglicans what they thought happened after death, you would get at least thirteen answers! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Most would start from the resurrection of Jesus on the first Easter day. Some will see that as a spiritual rather than physical resurrection, | ||
+ | |||
+ | And he promises us the same, in the way he promised the penitent crook crucified with him. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” But what of the transfiguration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nonetheless there is a difficulty with the way the resurrected come and go. Jesus seems to pass through walls or shut doors with no problems; Moses and Elijah come and go on the mountain top. Jesus finally “ascends” with his earthly body. Can we have it both ways - a physical body such as we know now; but one that does not always follow the rules of matter? There is no easy way through this impasse. The resurrected body is the same but different - and that will be true of our bodies after death. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The church has traditionally (at least since the third century) insisted that after death we remain social creatures who enjoy each other’s company. That is what is meant by the credal statement of “the communion of saints”. It is a great pity that this credal belief is so seldom taught or talked about today. What it is saying is that after death we remain communicative, | ||
+ | |||
+ | So what does this mean for someone weeping for a loved one? It means that they still exist; they have a “life” and that we shall be reunited with them in a state of eternal blessedness. We grieve the separation from them - but we believe it is only temporary. | ||
+ | |||
+ |