Body vs Soul in Christianity, are they equal?

"Dear Sir,

Do Christians view the body as equally important to the soul or is the soul more important?"

There are different facets of this argument:

Superficially we can say that because of "imago dei" our bodies are sacred and therefore they have a connection with God.

Christianity argues that our souls are a gift from God which is what makes humanity: God's intended creation, rather than aminals or progression through evolution.

If we look at the importance of death in Christianity we can see that doctrine indicates the soul goes to be judged however the body is left until the parousia (the second coming of the messiah). In Judaism this is why it is preferable for orthodox (Hasidic, Heredi Jews) to be buried by the Towrr of Ascension in Jerusalem, so that they are at the sight of the coming of the messiah.Eschatology is the doctrine of hope which says that there are three 'ages'.

1) Before the arrival of the Messiah (the stage within which Judaism is now).
2) Realised eschatology which is where the messiah has come and you believe that the parousia is inevitable (Paul wrote about this in the NT). This applies to: "Convert now, then end is nigh."
3) The period when the messiah has arrived and the believers' bodies join their souls with God in heaven. This is at the act of general judgement.

In theory our bodies are less important than the soul, however Christian teaching indicates that the body has a vital part in the relationship with God.

The Eucharist is also a factor in the relationship between the soul and the body. If we look at the importance of Christ's body, as well as the analogy for his body representing the Church (1 Corinthians 12) then we could say that our bodies are all part of the Church in a broader sense. Paul used the body's interlinking organs and senses as a metaphor for the individual's involvement in the Church, in a broader sense from ἐκκλησία. In Matthew 2 the author writes that the soul somehow dictates the health of the body and these two entities are therefore inextricably linked.

Suicide is also a cause for doctrinal debate. If our bodies are a gift from God then it is a sin to damage them. That is why western law dictated that attempted suicide was illegal, and it stayed that way until 1961 in England and Wales (the traditionally protestant Scotland has not had laws against suicide for some time). Prior to 1961 the treatment of the corpse and the estate of the individual post-suicide was often marginalised and funds may well have been extracted by the state.

Abortion is of the same vain as suicide within the dichotomy between soul and body, doctrine would dictate that if the body is a gift from God then it is sacred. However if ensoulment hasn't occured then how do we (or God) make that judgement call as to when a person becomes a person?

The often quoted and much discussed passage in the book of Matthew asks the reader whether damage to the body on earth is equivalent to eternal damage to both body and soul in hell. The reader must therefore assume that eternal punishment to the soul is of more immediate threat that a purposeful damage to the body on earth. However the difficulty arises, when using hermeneutics, that they way in which Christians treat the body can determine their fate at judgement.

I'll leave the overall decision to you, do have a look at the hyperlinks too.

Betting on the next Archbishop of Canterbury:

Do we really need to bet on everything? Sport I understand, a competitive and more often than not evenly matched affair which skill, technique and strength are put to the test. Political and Religious betting however strikes me as an oddity.

The Guardian have written an article which explains that Labrokes have now suspended further bets taken on who will suceed Dr Rowan Williams as the next archbishop, as a run of bets backing Justin Welby has made him a clear favorite in their eyes.

"When Ladbrokes closed its betting, the odds on Welby, 56, were 1-2. Close behind him was the bishop of Norwich, Graham James, and others including James Jones, the bishop of Liverpool, and John Inge, the bishop of Worcester." (Lizzy Davies 6 November 2012, 1930, Guardian.co.uk)

The decision will undoubtedly be made before the upcoming Anglican synod in less than two weeks. Is the decision too secret? Should the entire Anglican communion be involved in the decision? An opinion poll taken on the 30 October 2012 says that the Church of England is losing trust over the lack of dialogue with its congregation. The Telegraph have written about this issue.

Chaplains and Super League Rugby:

The BBC have just published an article looking at pastoral care in sport. Interestingly this is an area which hasn't been much publicised as athletes are considered to be physical beings rather than emotional, however this step from the Super League shows us the importance of emotional and spiritual well being all across society.

There are over 230 sports chaplains in the UK, as wll as there being well over 200 military chaplains in the British Armed Forces.

Does this mean that in an incrasingly atheistic society we are seeing a newfangled emphasis on spirituality in sport?

How important is the Archbishop of Canterbury in UK society?

Today the Church of England will be electing a new Archbishop of Canterbury to replace Dr. Rowan Williams.

A group of DC students and staff will be attending Dr. Rowan Williams speak at the Methodist centre: Westminster Hall on Monday. He is due to step down on the 31st December.

Dr. Williams has been a driving force for homosexual tolerance and inclusion in the Anglican community. His writings on the subject are widely influential and a popular study for Theology undergraduates. His most notable work Speaking Love's Name (1988) wrote about the sanctity of love. The premise of Dr. William's argument is that any love felt between two humans if love is for the right reason is love also with God. Therefore God can be present in any relationship where the core values of Christian worship are present. Dr. Williams went on to say that if you are in a dedicated, sharing, loving monogamous relationship then it does not matter what sex the couple comprise, just the bond between them.

This was and is a contraversial topic in the Christian community, especially when focused on the dichotomy between Catholicism and Anglican reflections on homosexuality within the Church. Dr. Rowan Williams has had a clear vision for the Church of England, one which has brought it into the C21st. Have a read of the linked articles and think of what challenges the Church of England might become faced with in the near future.

Jesus' wife?

There have been many attempts at clarifying whether or not Jesus of Nazareth had a wife. From works of fiction (The DaVinci Code) to coptic translations.

There is always a question of authority when approaching ancient translations. Not so much authority of the scholar who uncovers them, but the text itself. Language is fluid, words and meanings shift over time in order to keep up with constantly globalising cultures.

This particular text is dated to a similar time as one of the Gospel texts. When the Christian canon was compiled, in various attempts to agree on a doctrine, there were inevitably some texts which were left out.

However the legitimacy of this particular text is sincerely debatable. It is imperative that we approach theories like this with an academic hat on, one which enables rather than dismisses. If this text is indeed legitimate and seen as a historic document which teaches us more about the life of the protagonist Jesus then we need to be aware of the implications. If therefore this text is legitimate and was not included in the Christian canon, we must try and understand why it was not integral to the development of the Christian religion.

A guide to the Anglican lick:

Lawrence Edmonds a young man from Yorkshire was challenged by his mate to lick every Anglican cathedral in the UK. That's 64 cathedrals. You can follow his journey on Twitter.

I have to admit that this is a bizarre and unhygienic past time is a fantastic way to get to see the wonderful architectural, artistic and theological sights of the UK.

Lawerence is documenting his travels as he attends the 42 cathedrals in England, the 8 in Scotland, 8 in Northern Ireland and 6 in Wales.

In an age where the positive exposure of Christianity in the media is seldom frequent, it is fantastic to see a revitalised view of some of the nation's oldest and finest buildings. If you are interested in reading Theology at University, or indeed if not, don't be afraid to take up Mr Edmonds' example although not necessarily the licking of, but definitely the visiting and appreciating of the UK's cathedrals. Good luck to him as he strives towards his deadline of the 16th December this year.

Can substance be created out of absence? An RS/Physics collaboration:

If you ask a physicist whether or not this is possible, their gut reaction would be to say: "No." However after discussing the inner workings of Up and Down quarks inside a proton at the centre of a nucleus, it is possible to theorise that matter can be created where is was not already in existance.

Energy and Mass are one in the same thing. particles that are made up of quarks, have those quarks bonded by the strong nuclear force. If this bond is extended or separated, the force becomes greater rather than decreasing with distance as the electromagnetic or gravitation force behaves. if you try to separate a quark from other quarks, the force becomes so great that it is energetically advantageous for a particle, antiparticle pair to emerge from the vacuum of space near them, bind with each of the quarks you are separating, therefore reducing the separation force. hence the creation of matter, with a little help from energy. In addition with collisions in particle accelerators, if the energy of collision matches or exceeds the energy of a particle, it can be created.

As a philosopher or a theologian, we now need to discuss the impact that this process ca have on our view of creation. Russell would speculate as to the impact that this would have on our view at all, should we even concern ourselves with these questions? Anthony Kenny would suggest that this fundamental sub-atomic process has no impact on a Christian doctrine of creation. To the extent that the natural processes causing the universe to be sustained are inherent within the act of creating, and as a result it is therefore santioned by God. Find more on this in Kenny's dialogue prompted by Aquinas' writings on cosmology.

Wittgenstein would ask about the nature of cosmology that it can be 'mystical'. Does cosmology not seek to find images, the big bang/multi-universe theory/processes in the nucleus, by which to express events so unlike anything experienced on Earth, therefore rendering literal language of little use? If we therefore render language useless how can we seek to compare theological creation as allegory with the contemporary perception of creation?

Richard Dawkins on the newfangled King James Bible distribution plans

The BBC have published Richard Dawkins' perspective on the plans to distribute the King James Bible within schools. Dawkins has the view that as a literary work, the Bible offers a vast amount of linguistic and clutural infomation and that reading from it will devlop your understanding of the English language.

However controversially, Dawkins says that the Bible cannot be understood as a moral guide to behaviour and therefore that any rational reader, of sound mind, should come to the conclusion that it is an integral work of fiction.

"Some phrasiology from the KJB: No peace for the wicked (Isaiah 57:21), The blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:13) and God forbid (Romans 3:6)"

He comments on the skillful allegories and allusions in the King James Bible which akin to that of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

I will leave our perspective open, but the article is a fascinating atheist and linguistic interpretation on the use of this powerful narrative in society.

British Poverty could be Alleviated by a Robin Hood Tax?

On Monday, Cardinal O'Brien  took on David Cameron in a statement which declared that Government policy was not doing enough to help alleviate suffering througout impoverished communities in the UK.

Cardinal O'Brien dubbed by The Guardian as "Scotland's most senior Catholic" is pressing to enforce the Tobin tax which seeks to attach a small, realistically percentile, static rate on domestic financial transactions.

This would create a Government fund to be able to directly tackle poverty within the UK. The Cardinal accused the Government of having "immoral economic policy" which exacerbates the situation of those who are financially less well-off. A full transcript of the BBC1 Sunday Politics in Scotland is available online.

What do you think? Is it the case that taking small fractions of large transactions in the City parallels a Robin-Hood-esque charitable mentality, or is it a Robin-Hood-esque aggressive concept which looks for confrontation rather than contribution.

Beyond Belief: does Physics explain away God?

Ernie Rea broadcasts Beyond Belief, the BBC Radio 4 program, as he seeks to discuss whether modern Physics has explained away God. This is an incredibly relevant debate for the AQA AS Unit 'Psychology of Religion' as it seeks to analyse the impact which science has on religious faith.

For aspiring physicists the broadcast analyses the compatibility of science and religion: Quantum theory of uncertainty; the Big Bang and creation; Galileo's involvement and conflict with the Church; Newtonian principles; the relationship between the laws of nature, theology and the fundamental scientific forces in action around us.

When listening to this, think of how religion and science can work together by learning from each other, whether science seeks to undermine philosophy or whether both disciplines share an innate rationality which makes them inextricably linked.

Try to research the 'God of the gaps' theory and how it relates to the 'multiverse theory'. Is it possible for theology to explain the existence of an omnipotent God, creator of our universe without us being in contact with any other evidences of creation? Or is it more plausible that creation is a devine act and not that of a chemical reaction.

Affluenza: Oliver James article

In one respect James’ opinion that our Capitalist systems need an inevitable reform is correct. One could argue that we would learn a lot from Marx’ writings on economics, and interpret from Adam Smith’s foundation economic theory that the drive for affluence is inevitable in human nature, it is the way we approach economics, that has to change Today. Stephen Green (there are two authors, be wary of finding the relevant one: HSBC Group Holdings plc,Chairman) who wrote a few books on incorporating Christian values into the market place: Good Money is a developed book which seeks to analyse the role that theology has in capitalism, critiquing the place of Christian familial values in economics.

Contrary to James, I would seek to broaden your opinion on economics, read up on the inevitability of recessions, and then the affect that religious belief has on our economic behaviour. I would argue that incidences of economic depression, or ‘Minsky moments’ are as a result of the human condition. A Christian might argue this from original sin; others would say that James’ analysis of ‘Affluenza’ is indeed a more accurate cause.

Is there a limit to Mobile technology?

Nokia are looking into patenting a "magnetic tatoo" technology which would create vibrations under the skin to alert the subject to calls and messages. Imagine having your mobile alerts coming straight to your skin, even if your phone wasn't near you... What reprecussions do you think a technology like this would have on communicaiton? Or would it actually change the way we communicate at all?

Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the Law:

The recent case of the locked-in syndrome patient in the UK who can only communicate through a series of eye-blinks via a computer system, is now challenging the ethical boundaries of our legal system. Whether euthanasia or assisted-suicide is being discussed it is important to consider the wider implications. How would a decision in this instance might affect broader society? Read a group of UK nurses' thoughts on the case.

Can claims about Morality be objective?

This work appears on the Cambridge Undergraduate Philosophy reading list as an introduction to questions concerning ethics, specifically morality. The last 2 chapters focus on looking beyond happiness  to find other base aims and instincts of humanity.

It is a fluid and accessible study of morality and one which is well regarded amongst Undergraduate philosophy and theology courses.

Amazon it here

Ticking ovarian clock? Or, an end to restriction by time:

Stem cell research is now hoping to adapt ovaries to have an unlimited supply of fertile eggs. A recent study using female mice proved successful. You may read more about the scientific process at:Journal of: Nature Medicine and The BBC explore the impact that this technology could have, if made available to humanity. Try to consider the different perspectives on this topic.

Tolerance of Homosexuality in Uganda:

This article posted by the BBC, only hours ago, analyses the work of gay rights activists in Uganda. The current law in Uganda for 'homosexual acts' is up to a 14 year jail sentence. The government proposal is to increase it to life, through Capital punishment.

The dominant religious faith in Uganda is Roman Catholicism. Protestantism and Islam comprise the remaining population.

The questions that you should be asking whilst reading these articles are:       Does tolerating homosexuality in a Roman Catholic community affect the individual's salvation?         Should a government be allowed to pass laws based solely on religious justification?           Is there another more amicable solution for co-existence?

Genis Carreras - Philosophical Shapes

These are brilliant! Enjoy:

The Handmaid's Tale:

From the author Margaret Atwood, a Canadian novelist and influential C20th feminist.

The Handmaid's Tale explores feminism, utilitarianism, fascism, free will, propoganda, chauvinism and political oppresion. This book explores the journey of a female protagonist in a male and class dominated political system. This book appears on many Undergraduate reading lists for Philosophy, Politics, English Literature and Anthropology. Well worth a read for £4.00

Terrorism, Capital punnishment, Radical Islam and the perception of religion:

This is an article from the Independent newspaper which discusses Abu Qatada and his last 10 years as an detained Islamic cleric. You should be focusing your thoughts towards: questions of ethics regarding his deportation to a capital sentence; the impact that broadcasted religious beliefs can have on society; current anti-terrorism regulations in the UK.

Why do people experience religious visions?

The BBC explore the concept of religious experiences, aetheist and believer's attitudes and whether or not they are caused by seisures. Do you think that pre-conceived archetypes or religious imagery are the source of content in these visions?

Plato's Cave

This is Simon Blackburn, a Cambridge professor in Philosophy, discussing Plato's Cave. Blackburn has an uncanny ability to scythe through philosophical jargon, therefore offering an easy-to-understand explanation. He can be a bit dry to listen to at first...give it time.

Economics and Religious Language

 Alain de Botton: 'We should rebrand tax as charity'. Can we use religious language to alter our perceptions monetary transactions? Or is using a New Testament concept of charity as the giving of agape, rather than monetary value, more appropriate?