| Abstract |
"In the Christian tradition, death was a punishment by God for the original sin of Adam and Eve. Banished from the Garden of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge, they were condemned to labour, until "you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return."2 But later in historical time, God sent his son Jesus Christ to earth to teach people how to overcome death and achieve eternal life, as witnessed in the gospels. Christ taught that if sinful humans would repent of their sins and love God, they would be saved from death, for as he said to Martha in the house of Lazarus, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."3 The central narrative of Christian soteriology is the death of Christ himself, through crucifixion, and his resurrection from the dead three days later. Having triumphed over death, his purpose was to lead his followers to salvation. After Christ's bodily ascension into heaven, the task of saving souls for eternity was passed to his church. The emphasis on Christ's death and resurrection, and its representation in the eucharistic service, mean that death and commemoration lie at the very heart of Christianity"-- Provided by publisher. |
