Immortal soul; conscious existence after death; bodily resurrection awaited
The Church of the Nazarene affirms the immortality of the soul and conscious existence after physical death. At death, believers enter into God's presence; the unrighteous face a state of judgment. The bodily resurrection of all the dead at the return of Christ is affirmed as essential to Christian hope.
Nazarene theology rejects soul sleep, holding that the individual consciousness persists after death and that the deceased believer is with Christ in a state of blessed communion awaiting the final resurrection. This conviction is consistent with the broader Wesleyan-Arminian theological tradition from which the denomination springs.
The Articles of Faith affirm 'the resurrection of the dead; that the bodies of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits.' This resurrection hope is understood as a vindication of the whole person — body and soul — and is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the 'firstfruits' of the general resurrection.
Key Distinctions
- Intermediate state:
- soul consciously present with God (or separated from God) immediately after death
- Immortality type:
- inherent immortality of the soul; the soul does not die
- Bodily resurrection:
- bodily resurrection at the Last Day; glorified body reunited with soul
Scripture References
Sources
- Church of the Nazarene Manual, Articles of Faith, §XVII: Resurrection, Judgment, and Destiny