Lecture 26: The Possibility of Life After Death—Part 3

Oct 29, 2024

Lecture 26: The Possibility of Life After Death (Part 3)

Overview

  • Focus on the possibility of bodily resurrection.
  • Previous lecture dealt with the concept of immaterial souls.
  • A Christian account requires both an immaterial soul with an intermediate state and the possibility of bodily resurrection.

Key Questions

  • What is needed to accomplish bodily resurrection?
  • What kind of body is required for resurrection?
  • The answer depends on the definition of a human person (anthropology):
    • Body
    • Soul
    • Combination of body and soul

Theories of Human Personhood

1. Substance Dualism

  • Belief: You are your soul.
  • Implication: Resurrection is easy because only a duplicate body is needed.
  • Example: The soul can inhabit a new, identical body.

2. Materialism/Physicalism

  • Belief: You are your body.
  • Implication: The same physical body must be resurrected; a duplicate body won't suffice.

3. Composite View (Hylomorphism)

  • Belief: You are a composite of body and soul.
  • Implication: Both body and soul must survive. The resurrection body must be numerically identical to the current body.

Concepts of Sameness and Identity

  • Phenomenological/Qualitative Sameness: Objects appear the same but are not numerically identical (e.g., identical shirts).
  • Numerical Identity: The exact same object over time.
  • Numerical identity is crucial for materialism and hylomorphism in resurrection.

Historical Christian Views on Resurrection

  • Reassembly Model: Most of Christian history sees resurrection as a reassembly of the exact physical parts.
  • Cannibal Objection: Challenges the reassembly model by questioning how God resurrects bodies with shared components.

Alternative Models

1. Brain Snatching Model (Peter Van Inwagen)

  • Concept: God snatches the brain before death and replaces it with a duplicate.
  • Goal: Show logical possibility even if it’s not realistic.

2. Body Fission Model (Dean Zimmerman)

  • Concept: Body splits into two; one becomes the corpse, the other continues to live.
  • Criticism: Logical possibilities but not actual accounts of resurrection.

Criticisms and Further Thoughts

  • Logical Possibility: Important to counter atheist claims of impossibility.
  • Desire for Realism: Need more than logical possibilities; seek actual mechanisms.
  • Upcoming Lectures: Will explore reassembly possibility further, argue against cannibal objection as a definitive problem.

Conclusion

  • The lecture explores diverse theories of bodily resurrection.
  • Further analysis in future lectures will address potential solutions to objections and practical implications.

Note: This summary outlines key concepts in understanding bodily resurrection from philosophical and theological perspectives.