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The Resurrection of the Dead

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 20

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 XX.—Man Must Be Possessed Both of a Body and Soul Hereafter, that the Judgment Passed Upon Him May Be Just.

For either death is the entire extinction

‹ Chapter 19 Chapter 21 ›

of

life

,

the

soul

being

dissolved

and

corrupted

along

with

the

body

,

or

the

soul

remains

by

itself

,

incapable

of

dissolution

,

of

dispersion

,

of

corruption

,

whilst

the

body

is

corrupted

and

dissolved

,

retaining

no

longer

any

remembrance

of

past

actions

,

nor

sense

of

what

it

experienced

in

connection

with

the

soul

.

If

the

life

of

men

is

to

be

utterly

extinguished

,

it

is

manifest

there

will

be

no

care

for

men

who

are

not

living

,

no

judgment

respecting

those

who

have

lived

in

virtue

or

in

vice

;

but

there

will

rush

in

again

upon

us

whatever

belongs

to

a

lawless

life

,

and

the

swarm

of

absurdities

which

follow

from

it

,

and

that

which

is

the

summit

of

this

lawlessness

—

atheism

.

But

if

the

body

were

to

be

corrupted

,

and

each

of

the

dissolved

particles

to

pass

to

its

kindred

element

,

yet

the

soul

to

remain

by

itself

as

immortal

,

neither

on

this

supposition

would

any

judgment

on

the

soul

take

place

,

since

there

would

be

an

absence

of

equity

:

for

it

is

unlawful

to

suspect

that

any

judgment

can

proceed

out

of

God

and

from

God

which

is

wanting

in

equity

.

Yet

equity

is

wanting

to

the

judgment

,

if

the

being

is

not

preserved

in

existence

who

practiced

righteousness

or

lawlessness

:

for

that

which

practiced

each

of

the

things

in

life

on

which

the

judgment

is

passed

was

man

,

not

soul

by

itself

.

To

sum

up

all

in

a

word

,

this

view

will

in

no

case

consist

with

equity

.