Christians have a lot of important believes about death, and before we go on with the unit, we need to look closely at these things. The information in this Topic will form the basis of your first Assignment for this unit. There is a lot of reading, so as you go, it would be wise to make some notes for yourself in a Pages document.
People throughout history and in different places around the world, believe many, many different things about death. This TED talk explores some the the psychology behind what believe about death...take notes to explain the four different perspectives on death that Stephen Cave outlines.
ACTIVITY 10: Some key Bible texts that explain what Christians believe about death
INTRODUCTION
KEY LEARNING: The Christian faith offers a message of hope and optimism BECAUSE the resurrection of Jesus is the central Christian belief.
Firstly, Christians understand that life is full of a whole lot of "little deaths". That is, Christians know that as we grow and change, we lose and grieve for many things, both big and small. Each one of these experiences makes us stronger, because through them, we learn that life goes on. This is an important concept for humans to grasp - that when bad things happen, in time, good will also come. When we trust that good will always (eventually) come, we can live through experiences of illness, death, grief and sadness with a bigger perspective on life. We can still feel the pain, but we can appreciate that there is more to life, and that there will come a time when things are better. Christians call this knowledge "hope". Christians always have hope that things will get better, and trust that God is with them in the experience, working in mysterious ways (through people and events) to bring things to goodness and light.
There are many aspects of Christianity that Christians disagree on, but one thing that everyone agrees on is that after he was executed on a cross in Jerusalem, Jesus rose from the dead. This belief is non-negotiable for Christians, and it is the best example of the key Christian concept that God ALWAYS wins in the end. No matter how bad things get, or how dark the world seems with anger and violence and hatred, God ALWAYS has the last word!
In the example of Jesus, even though the Romans thought that he had been killed (and silenced) and that he could no longer cause problems for them, Jesus' Resurrection from the dead shows that NOTHING is impossible for God - even raising someone from the dead. Christians believe that since God can do this, then anything is possible in our world.
This belief gives Christians hope that death is not the end of the story...it is not the end of our relationship with those we love. Like Jesus, we are all "raised from the dead" by God, and after our death, we live forever with God. Consequently, Christians do not fear death, and funerals can even be seen as joyful occasions (although we will still experience grief), because we know that it is not the end of the story for us...there is "more to come."
We're now going to look at some of the key readings which help explain the Christian understanding of Death. For each passage, respond with:
(a) Who wrote the passage and who were they writing for? (b) Summarise what the passage is about. (c) What message about death would a Christian take from this passage?
PASSAGE 1 This first reading comes from the Jewish Scriptures in the time before Jesus' life. Jesus would have been very familiar with this poem, which demonstrates the understanding that death is a natural part of life, and is to be expected like all other aspects of life. Many of the instances described in this poem are symbolic descriptions of the "little deaths" that we spoke about at the beginning of this topic. You might have heard these words before in famous song by the band The Byrds called "Turn, Turn, Turn".
Eccl 3:1-8 Everything has its Time For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;a time to throw away stones,and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain form embracing;a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep and a time to throw away;a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace. PASSAGE 2 The following is the account of Jesus's death and resurrection from Mark's Gospel. Scholars tell us that this is the oldest account of the events that we have still in existence, and that it was probably written down for the first group of people who did not hear first-hand accounts of Jesus' death and resurrection.
Mk 15:21-16:8 (Death and Resurrection of Jesus) They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the county, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him the crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthanī?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s son."
There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
PASSAGE 3 This story from Luke's Gospel is written about the time just after Jesus had been executed. The two men in the story were friends of Jesus, who had heard that he was killed, but had not yet heard that he had risen from the dead. After Jesus was raised, many people reported (like these men) that he looked quite different from what he had before he died. This telling of this story reminds Christians that while we might be upset that we did not get to meet Jesus in real life (because we were born in the wrong generation!), God does not always do what we expect and that we should to be ready to experience the God in our lives in all sorts of ways and through all sorts of people.
Lk 24: 13-35 The walk to Emmaus Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. PASSAGE 4 This short passage, which was written about 30 years after the Resurrection of Jesus, shows us that not everyone at that time believed that Jesus had been risen from the dead. Paul, who is writing to the people in the town on Corinth, reminds them that EVERYTHING they believe hinges on their belief in the Resurrection. There is no point believing that God came to earth in the form of Jesus if we do not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
1 Cor 15:12-14 The Resurrection of the Dead Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection from the dead then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.
PASSAGE 5In this excerpt from the Gospel of John (which was written about 60 years after Jesus rose from the dead), John reminds believers that Jesus' resurrection is an example of what will happen to everyone who believes when they die. Jn 11:25-26: Jesus the Resurrection and The Life Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
PASSAGE 6The last two extracts from the Bible require a bit of reflection. They are examples of the growing faith and understanding of the followers of Jesus in the years not long after his death and resurrection. You can see in these writings that it didn't take long for people to understand who Jesus was and what it meant to believe in him. Each of the readings demonstrate that people understood that Jesus' Resurrection was their first of all resurrections. Jesus' death led the way for everyone to have gift of resurrection too.
Col 3:1-4 The New Life in Christ So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Col 1:15-20 The Supremacy of Christ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile himself to all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. SUMMARYSo what do Christians believe about life after death? Catholics believe that there is life after death in that our Soul continues to journey onwards (Catholics also believe that our soul existed before our conception, so really, our soul has a long history, with a short experience in a human body on Earth). The understanding of Catholics is that after our death, we are judged (by God and ourselves) according to the life we have led, and that in response to that judgement, our soul continues to exist either in relationship with God (we sometimes call this "Heaven") or away from God (which is often called "Hell"). There is a third state (sometimes referred to as "Purgatory"), where the Soul is in a place of decision-making. Most Catholics have a firm sense that their soul will be with God in "heaven". The Catholic Church bases its understandings of life after death from the teachings of the Bible, and that of the teachings of great holy men and women of history. Since Christians believe that God is active in the world through people, the teachings of wise leaders are believed to be inspired by God. If you would like to know more, there is a good article here Here's a summary of What Catholic's believe about life after death! Note...it's designed for Year 12s, so you'll need to pause every now and then to take your notes.
ASSESSMENT TASK:
You should now be ready to complete Assessment Task #1 (THE MINOR ASSIGNMENT)
Extension
This TED Talk is Amanda Bennett discussion how she wasn't ready for her husband's death, because she believed and hoped that she could always save him from cancer. She talks about 'hope' which is a very Christian notion. As you watch this, what lessons might you take from the things Amanda learnt looking back on her journey?
What do Christians believe about death...and why?
Christians have a lot of important believes about death, and before we go on with the unit, we need to look closely at these things. The information in this Topic will form the basis of your first Assignment for this unit. There is a lot of reading, so as you go, it would be wise to make some notes for yourself in a Pages document.
People throughout history and in different places around the world, believe many, many different things about death. This TED talk explores some the the psychology behind what believe about death...take notes to explain the four different perspectives on death that Stephen Cave outlines.
ACTIVITY 10: Some key Bible texts that explain what Christians believe about death
INTRODUCTION
KEY LEARNING: The Christian faith offers a message of hope and optimism BECAUSE the resurrection of Jesus is the central Christian belief.
Firstly, Christians understand that life is full of a whole lot of "little deaths". That is, Christians know that as we grow and change, we lose and grieve for many things, both big and small. Each one of these experiences makes us stronger, because through them, we learn that life goes on. This is an important concept for humans to grasp - that when bad things happen, in time, good will also come. When we trust that good will always (eventually) come, we can live through experiences of illness, death, grief and sadness with a bigger perspective on life. We can still feel the pain, but we can appreciate that there is more to life, and that there will come a time when things are better. Christians call this knowledge "hope". Christians always have hope that things will get better, and trust that God is with them in the experience, working in mysterious ways (through people and events) to bring things to goodness and light.
There are many aspects of Christianity that Christians disagree on, but one thing that everyone agrees on is that after he was executed on a cross in Jerusalem, Jesus rose from the dead. This belief is non-negotiable for Christians, and it is the best example of the key Christian concept that God ALWAYS wins in the end. No matter how bad things get, or how dark the world seems with anger and violence and hatred, God ALWAYS has the last word!
In the example of Jesus, even though the Romans thought that he had been killed (and silenced) and that he could no longer cause problems for them, Jesus' Resurrection from the dead shows that NOTHING is impossible for God - even raising someone from the dead. Christians believe that since God can do this, then anything is possible in our world.
This belief gives Christians hope that death is not the end of the story...it is not the end of our relationship with those we love. Like Jesus, we are all "raised from the dead" by God, and after our death, we live forever with God. Consequently, Christians do not fear death, and funerals can even be seen as joyful occasions (although we will still experience grief), because we know that it is not the end of the story for us...there is "more to come."
We're now going to look at some of the key readings which help explain the Christian understanding of Death. For each passage, respond with:
(a) Who wrote the passage and who were they writing for?
(b) Summarise what the passage is about.
(c) What message about death would a Christian take from this passage?
PASSAGE 1
This first reading comes from the Jewish Scriptures in the time before Jesus' life. Jesus would have been very familiar with this poem, which demonstrates the understanding that death is a natural part of life, and is to be expected like all other aspects of life. Many of the instances described in this poem are symbolic descriptions of the "little deaths" that we spoke about at the beginning of this topic. You might have heard these words before in famous song by the band The Byrds called "Turn, Turn, Turn".
Eccl 3:1-8 Everything has its Time
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;a time to throw away stones,and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain form embracing;a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep and a time to throw away;a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.
PASSAGE 2
The following is the account of Jesus's death and resurrection from Mark's Gospel. Scholars tell us that this is the oldest account of the events that we have still in existence, and that it was probably written down for the first group of people who did not hear first-hand accounts of Jesus' death and resurrection.
Mk 15:21-16:8 (Death and Resurrection of Jesus)
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the county, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him the crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthanī?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s son."
There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
PASSAGE 3
This story from Luke's Gospel is written about the time just after Jesus had been executed. The two men in the story were friends of Jesus, who had heard that he was killed, but had not yet heard that he had risen from the dead. After Jesus was raised, many people reported (like these men) that he looked quite different from what he had before he died. This telling of this story reminds Christians that while we might be upset that we did not get to meet Jesus in real life (because we were born in the wrong generation!), God does not always do what we expect and that we should to be ready to experience the God in our lives in all sorts of ways and through all sorts of people.
Lk 24: 13-35 The walk to Emmaus
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
PASSAGE 4
This short passage, which was written about 30 years after the Resurrection of Jesus, shows us that not everyone at that time believed that Jesus had been risen from the dead. Paul, who is writing to the people in the town on Corinth, reminds them that EVERYTHING they believe hinges on their belief in the Resurrection. There is no point believing that God came to earth in the form of Jesus if we do not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
1 Cor 15:12-14 The Resurrection of the Dead
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection from the dead then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.
PASSAGE 5In this excerpt from the Gospel of John (which was written about 60 years after Jesus rose from the dead), John reminds believers that Jesus' resurrection is an example of what will happen to everyone who believes when they die.
Jn 11:25-26: Jesus the Resurrection and The Life
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
PASSAGE 6The last two extracts from the Bible require a bit of reflection. They are examples of the growing faith and understanding of the followers of Jesus in the years not long after his death and resurrection. You can see in these writings that it didn't take long for people to understand who Jesus was and what it meant to believe in him. Each of the readings demonstrate that people understood that Jesus' Resurrection was their first of all resurrections. Jesus' death led the way for everyone to have gift of resurrection too.
Col 3:1-4 The New Life in Christ
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Col 1:15-20 The Supremacy of Christ
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile himself to all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
SUMMARYSo what do Christians believe about life after death?
Catholics believe that there is life after death in that our Soul continues to journey onwards (Catholics also believe that our soul existed before our conception, so really, our soul has a long history, with a short experience in a human body on Earth). The understanding of Catholics is that after our death, we are judged (by God and ourselves) according to the life we have led, and that in response to that judgement, our soul continues to exist either in relationship with God (we sometimes call this "Heaven") or away from God (which is often called "Hell"). There is a third state (sometimes referred to as "Purgatory"), where the Soul is in a place of decision-making.
Most Catholics have a firm sense that their soul will be with God in "heaven". The Catholic Church bases its understandings of life after death from the teachings of the Bible, and that of the teachings of great holy men and women of history. Since Christians believe that God is active in the world through people, the teachings of wise leaders are believed to be inspired by God. If you would like to know more, there is a good article here
Here's a summary of What Catholic's believe about life after death! Note...it's designed for Year 12s, so you'll need to pause every now and then to take your notes.
ASSESSMENT TASK:
You should now be ready to complete Assessment Task #1 (THE MINOR ASSIGNMENT)
Extension
This TED Talk is Amanda Bennett discussion how she wasn't ready for her husband's death, because she believed and hoped that she could always save him from cancer. She talks about 'hope' which is a very Christian notion. As you watch this, what lessons might you take from the things Amanda learnt looking back on her journey?