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The Resurrection of the Dead

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 24

About this work

A philosophical defense of bodily resurrection arguing from God’s power and purpose, the unity of human body and soul, moral judgment, and the intended end of human creation.

Author: Athenagoras of Athens
Date: Late 2nd century
Origin: Athens (traditional)
Genre: Theological Treatise

Its relationship to Athenagoras and to the Plea is traditional but has received scholarly discussion.

Chapter XXIV.—Argument for the Resurrection from the Chief End of Man.

The points proposed for consideration having been

‹ Chapter 23 Chapter 25 ›

to

some

extent

investigated

,

it

remains

to

examine

the

argument

from

the

end

or

final

cause

,

which

indeed

has

already

emerged

in

what

has

been

said

,

and

only

requires

just

so

much

attention

and

further

discussion

as

may

enable

us

to

avoid

the

appearance

of

leaving

unmentioned

any

of

the

matters

briefly

referred

to

by

us

,

and

thus

indirectly

damaging

the

subject

or

the

division

of

topics

made

at

the

outset

.

For

the

sake

of

those

present

,

therefore

,

and

of

others

who

may

pay

attention

to

this

subject

,

it

may

be

well

just

to

signify

that

each

of

those

things

which

are

constituted

by

nature

,

and

of

those

which

are

made

by

art

,

must

have

an

end

peculiar

to

itself

,

as

indeed

is

taught

us

by

the

common

sense

of

all

men

,

and

testified

by

the

things

that

pass

before

our

eyes

.

For

do

we

not

see

that

husbandmen

have

one

end

,

and

physicians

another

;

and

again

,

the

things

which

spring

out

of

the

earth

another

,

and

the

animals

nourished

upon

it

,

and

produced

according

to

a

certain

natural

series

,

another

?

If

this

is

evident

,

and

natural

and

artificial

powers

,

and

the

actions

arising

from

these

,

must

by

all

means

be

accompanied

by

an

end

in

accordance

with

nature

,

it

is

absolutely

necessary

that

the

end

of

men

,

since

it

is

that

of

a

peculiar

nature

,

should

be

separated

from

community

with

the

rest

;

for

it

is

not

lawful

to

suppose

the

same

end

for

beings

destitute

of

rational

judgment

,

and

of

those

whose

actions

are

regulated

by

the

innate

law

and

reason

,

and

who

live

an

intelligent

life

and

observe

justice

.

Freedom

from

pain

,

therefore

,

cannot

be

the

proper

end

for

the

latter

,

for

this

they

would

have

in

common

with

beings

utterly

devoid

of

sensibility

:

nor

can

it

consist

in

the

enjoyment

of

things

which

nourish

or

delight

the

body

,

or

in

an

abundance

of

pleasures

;

else

a

life

like

that

of

the

brutes

must

hold

the

first

place

,

while

that

regulated

by

virtue

is

without

a

final

cause

.

For

such

an

end

as

this

,

I

suppose

,

belongs

to

beasts

and

cattle

,

not

to

men

possessed

of

an

immortal

soul

and

rational

judgment

.