Immortal soul affirmed; bodily resurrection literal; conscious intermediate state; eternal judgment certain
Christian Churches affirm the immortality of the human soul and the bodily resurrection of all persons at the eschaton. They teach that at death, the soul departs the body and enters a conscious intermediate state awaiting the resurrection. This maintains both the dichotomist understanding of human nature (body and soul) and the necessity of resurrection for complete salvation.
Resurrection is understood as bodily and literal, following Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 15. The redeemed will receive glorified resurrection bodies suited for eternal communion with God, while the unbelieving will be raised to judgment and eternal separation from God. This affirms both the immortality of the soul and the traditional Christian doctrine of bodily resurrection.
The intermediate state is described as conscious—not sleep of the soul (psychopannychia), not reincarnation, and not immediate judgment. Rather, souls await the final resurrection when Christ's judicial authority will be fully revealed in the resurrection of all persons.
Scripture References
Sources
- Campbell, Alexander. 'Memoirs of Alexander Campbell' (1861)
- McGarvey, John W. 'Biblical Criticism' (1899)