If it can be proven that an incorporeal thinking being has a life of its own, independent of the body, and that inside the body it feels much worse than outside it, then, undoubtedly, physical bodies are of secondary importance;
they improve only as thinking beings change.
Beings in need of a corporeal shell clothe themselves in it,
and the bodies of those who soared to higher matters disintegrate. Thus, bodies ceaselessly perish and are continually born again.
Origen, one of the fathers of the Christian Church (185-254 AD)
Although some historical sources say that the doctrine of transmigration of souls in the Christian world was accepted only by a few free thinkers, much more can be said about the fate of this doctrine in the bosom of the Christian religion than is usually said. Now another concept is coming to the fore, according to which Christianity has recognized the doctrine of reincarnation from the very moment of its inception.
This was the case until the Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD), when church authorities decided that the reincarnation of the soul was an “unacceptable view” that was incomprehensible to ordinary Christians. A more detailed account of this council and its consequences is given below.
New Testament
According to the views of most Christian theologians, in the last lines of the Old Testament the prophet Malachi predicted what was to happen immediately before the coming of Jesus Christ: “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.” Malachi spoke these words in the fifth century BC, predicting the reappearance of Elijah four hundred years after Elijah's life. This fact should greatly puzzle those who completely reject the doctrine of reincarnation of souls.
In the first book of the New Testament, Matthew mentions this prediction several times. In total, the evangelists refer to the prophecy of Elijah at least ten times. It is clear from the New Testament verses below that the writers and early interpreters of the gospels believed that the prophet Elijah would return as John the Baptist, and that the other Hebrew prophets would also come in other guises:
Having come to the countries of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples: Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am? They said: some for John the Baptist, others for Elijah, and others for Jeremiah, or for one of the prophets (Matthew 16:13-14).
And His disciples asked Him: How come the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Jesus answered them: It is true that Elijah must come first and arrange everything, but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wanted; so the Son of man will suffer from them.
Then the disciples realized that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-13).
Truly I say to you, of those born of women, none was exalted higher than John the Baptist; but the least one in the Kingdom of Heaven is above him.
For you can accept that he is Elijah, who must come. He who has ears, let him hear! (Matt. 11:11,14-15).
Despite the fact that these lines clearly refer us to reincarnation, some researchers try to refute the obvious by quoting verses 19 and 20 of the Gospel of John. The Jerusalem priests approached John the Baptist and asked him: “Are you Elijah?” He answered them: “No.” Then they asked him again: “Are you a prophet?” And he answered again: “No.” John rejected all attempts to identify him with Elijah, and generally denied that he had a prophetic gift, although this is often explained by the modesty of the Forerunner.
When the priests finally gave John a chance to speak, he answered their questions by quoting the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord." In fact, he never told the priests who he was. Perhaps he did not remember his previous incarnations; This happens quite often. However, it seems that John the Baptist wanted to find a deeper answer that would not be reduced to the usual re-interpretation of an already existing tradition. He was not just Elijah, but Elijah who came with a new, special mission. Although this interpretation may seem far-fetched, it provides us with the only possible solution to the controversial issue. There is no other way to reconcile the negative responses of John the Baptist with the above statement of Jesus Christ, which clearly identifies Elijah the prophet with John. Christian doctrine is based on faith in the word of Jesus, and since he testified to the identity of Elijah with John, his statement must outweigh the words of John the Baptist himself. In fact, Christian theologians have accepted this interpretation precisely because they too find it absurd, even heretical, to partially believe in the word of Jesus.
In another episode, which is also mentioned in the gospels, Christ again speaks out in support of the idea of \u200b\u200bthe reincarnation of souls. When Christ and his disciples met a man blind from birth, the disciples asked: “Rabbi! Who sinned, he or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). The very fact that Jesus' early followers asked him such a question suggests a belief in previous existence and reincarnation. Most likely, they were sure that before his birth this blind man lived in another body. Otherwise, how could a person who was blind from birth be punished with blindness for allegedly committing a sin?
Geddes MacGregor states unequivocally in relation to this episode: “This refers to the past life (or lives) of this person, during which the sin was committed, entailing such terrible consequences. A newborn baby could not be a sinner, unless we assume that he sinned while in his mother’s womb, which, of course, is absurd.”
Paul's letter to the Galatians can also be interpreted as indicating the existence of reincarnation: “Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap” (6:7). One human life is clearly not enough to reap all that has been sown.
The Book of Revelation contains the following words: “Whoever leads into captivity will go into captivity; whoever kills with the sword must himself be killed with the sword” (13:10). Although they are usually understood in the figurative sense: “If you have committed a crime, then the same crime will subsequently be committed against yourself,” another, quite natural interpretation of this verse can arise from the doctrine of the law of karma (cause and effect) and the rebirth of the soul. If we interpret these words literally, as other passages in the Bible are often interpreted, we inevitably come to the idea of reincarnation. Many soldiers, for example, die peacefully in their bed, far from the battlefield - and, by the way, not from swords - therefore, for the words of Revelation to come true, retribution must await them in the next life.
Bible passages similar to the ones above led Francis Bowen, one of the foremost Harvard philosophers of the 19th century, to think:
“The fact that the commentators of the sacred scriptures have been unwilling to accept the obvious meaning of direct and repeated statements, but instead have attempted to create fictitious metaphorical interpretations, only proves the existence of an ineradicable prejudice against the theory of transmigration of souls.”
Why Christianity Doesn't Recognize Reincarnation
Christianity also believes that man is responsible for his own actions. However, it is believed that everyone has one life. The priests themselves claim that the theory of transmigration of souls means that good or evil in the world is increasing. If a person stole, then they will steal from him, and so on. Just like in heaven, he earns his next life through good deeds. But in such conditions, in essence, God is not needed; there is no role left for him. And this is worth taking into account when figuring out why Christianity rejects reincarnation. The transmigration of souls ultimately implies merging with the Absolute. But Christians do not recognize this.
Origen controversy
The founders of the Christian Church, such as Clement of Alexandria (150-220 AD), Justinian Martyr (100-165 AD), St. Gregory of Nyssa (257-332 AD), Arnobius (c. 290 AD) and Saint Jerome (340-420), repeatedly supported the idea of reincarnation. St. Augustine himself, in his Confessions, seriously thought about the possibility of including the doctrine of reincarnation in Christian doctrine: “Did I have a certain period of life preceding infancy? Was it the period that I spent in my mother’s womb, or some other one? ...And what happened before this life, O Lord of my joy, did I dwell anywhere, or in any body?”
Origen (185-254), who was named by the Encyclopedia Britannica as the most significant and famous of the church fathers (with the possible exception of Augustine), spoke out most openly about reincarnation.
Great Christians, such as Saint Jerome, who, in fact, translated the Bible into Latin, characterized Origen as “the greatest teacher of the church after the holy apostles.” Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, called Origen “the prince of Christian teaching of the third century.”
What was this influential and highly educated Christian thinker's opinion on reincarnation? Origen's views on this subject were set forth in the famous Gifford Lectures by the Rev. William R. Inge, Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London:
Origen took a step that would have seemed the logical conclusion of the belief in immortality to any Greek - he taught that the soul lives even before the birth of the body. The soul is immaterial, so its life has neither beginning nor end. ... This teaching seemed so convincing to Origen that he could not hide his irritation at the orthodox belief in the Day of Judgment and the subsequent resurrection of the dead. “How can one restore dead bodies, each particle of which has passed into many other bodies? - asks Origen. —Which body do these molecules belong to? This is how people sink into the quagmire of nonsense and cling to the pious assertion that “nothing is impossible for God.”
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Origen's teachings largely echoed the ideas contained in the theory of reincarnation, which can be seen in the teachings of the Platonists, Jewish mystics, and also in the religious scriptures of Hindus.
Historian and religious scholar Isaac de Beauzobre, commenting on Origen’s statements, derives from them a doctrine that almost literally reproduces the dictionary definition of reincarnation: “Without a doubt, Origen believed that the soul inhabits successively several bodies and that its migrations depend on good or evil deeds this soul."
Although the Church's founders held Origen and his teachings in high esteem—including his views on reincarnation (such as those outlined above)—the Roman Catholic Church changed its attitude toward Origen markedly after his death. It should be noted, however, that this change was not at all caused by his judgments about the transmigration of souls. Rather, it is explained by the fact that young Origen, in a fit of excessive zeal, castrated himself in order to forever maintain chastity. According to churchmen, anyone who is capable of mutilating his own body will never achieve holiness.
Origen paid dearly for his youthful fanaticism. The Church refused to canonize him precisely because of this, and not because of his views on reincarnation.
However, no matter how high the price paid by Origen, the Church paid even more. Because he was not officially declared a saint, his teachings were only selectively accepted by church authorities. As a result, his views on life after death were not accepted even by loyal adherents of the Christian faith. It is a pity, but the most hidden truths discovered by one of the fathers of Christianity were covered in the darkness of oblivion. And the entire Christian world is still paying the price for rejecting Origen.
The persecution of his ideas, however, fit perfectly into the religious and political situation of the 6th century. It was then that Origen's teachings came under official persecution by church authorities. Emperor Justinian (c. 527-565) wanted to convert all his subjects to Christianity, which was already very popular in his empire, pursuing certain selfish goals. However, among the Christians of that time, Origenists, Gnostics and other sects that accepted reincarnation predominated. The far-sighted emperor was afraid that believers would begin to neglect the commandments, rightly believing that more than one life was allotted to them to achieve spiritual perfection. If people were confident that they had several lives left during which they could correct the mistakes they had made, many would actually begin to postpone the fulfillment of their religious duty “for later.” And this would prevent Justinian from using the Christian faith as a political weapon.
Justinian reasoned that people would take their religious duties seriously if they were taught that they had only one life at their disposal, at the end of which they would go to either heaven or hell.
In this case, their zeal can be used for political purposes. He was not the first to think of making religion a kind of drug that unites people. However, Justinian went further - he began to manipulate religious doctrines and beliefs in order to acquire worldly power. He chose to give people one single life and then send them to either heaven or hell.
Justinian was confident that such radical measures would strengthen the desire of believers to be good “Christians”, and therefore law-abiding citizens loyal to their emperor.
History is silent about how noble Justinian's intentions were. Some researchers claim that in the end he himself believed in the doctrine of the “single life” concocted on his orders. Be that as it may, the ban he imposed on the teachings of Origen took the form of a papal decree: “If anyone believes in the inconceivable existence of the soul before birth and in the most absurd rebirth after death, he should be anathematized [cursed].”
Writer and historian Joe Fisher draws a logical conclusion from the above facts:
“Starting from 553 AD. e., when Emperor Justinian decisively rejected the idea of \u200b\u200b"the most absurd rebirth", Christians began to believe in eternal life, while forgetting about its sister - reincarnation. Christians are taught that eternity begins at birth. But since only that which has no beginning can be infinite, we can just as easily believe in the ability of a table to stand on only three legs!”
General concept of transmigration of souls
According to the theory of reincarnation, every living creature comes for the Earth in incarnations again and again. It is believed that every action in this life affects the embodiment in the next. There are beliefs that a person can incarnate in both an insect and an animal. For example, insatiable people can be reborn into a pig. And if a person has some kind of injustice in his life since birth, this is a consequence of the action of karma. And no one is able to escape punishment.
Passing through incarnations, the soul improves more and more, approaching the Absolute.
The theory of the transmigration of souls in Western culture manifested itself in Orphic mysticism. Reincarnation was recognized in Greek culture.
When Christianity appeared, it was not similar to the dominant religions of that time. However, certain ideas about the transmigration of souls have simply changed in Western culture. During these times, it began to be believed that the human soul moves only into people. Similar ideas sounded in Theosophy.
Refutation of the anathema
Some historians firmly believe that the church never actually cursed Origen, or that the curse was later lifted. Therefore, modern Christians can accept the concept of transmigration of souls proposed by him. Such judgments are set out in detail in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
There is evidence that Pope Vigilius, the main representative of church authorities at the Second Council of Constantinople, did not at all insist on condemning Origen and even opposed the ban on his teachings. According to some sources, it was this church leader who later rescinded the anathema decree.
History says that the Second Council of Constantinople took place on May 5, 553. The Patriarch of Constantinople presided; In addition, representatives of the church authorities of the western and eastern parts of the Christian world were present at the council, who had to decide by voting whether Origenism (as the doctrine of reincarnation was called) was acceptable to Christianity. But Emperor Justinian controlled the entire voting procedure. Historical documents indicate that there was a conspiracy to forge the signatures of Western representatives, most of whom shared the views of Origen. Among the one hundred and sixty-five bishops who signed the decree against Origenism, there could not have been more than six envoys from the West. Realizing that foul play was being played at the council, Pope Vigilius refused to be present at the final verdict.
The results of the Council of Constantinople have been summarized by theologians and historians of the Christian Church as follows:
Opponents of Origenism convinced Emperor Justinian to write a letter to the Patriarch of Constantinople, in which Origen was described as a malicious heretic. By order of Justinian, a church assembly met in Constantinople in 543, the result of which was an edict that listed and condemned the errors allegedly committed by Origen.
This edict, which was supposed to reconcile the West with the East, only deepened the rift between them. Pope Vigilius rejected the imperial edict and quarreled with the Patriarch of Constantinople, who supported Justinian. But after some time, the pope changed his mind and, prudently leaving no official confirmation of the emperor’s right to interfere in theological discussions, nevertheless issued a decree in which he anathematized the teaching prohibited by the imperial edict. This decree displeased the bishops of Gaul, North Africa and many other provinces, and Vigilius revoked it in 550 (that is, only three years before the ecclesiastical court dealt the final crushing blow to Origen's teachings).
Modern Beliefs
It is noteworthy that, according to surveys, many Christians believe in the transmigration of souls. At the same time, they consider themselves Orthodox. The popularization of the ideas of reincarnation in Christianity occurs due to exciting news related to sensational souls, and the propaganda of the idea in films. Lots of people in a variety of shows describe memories of their past lives. Self-knowledge sessions are popular, in which, during meditation, people are also asked to remember previous incarnations. There are many books and articles on this topic.
There are also many official supporters of the transmigration of souls, who answer positively when asked whether there was reincarnation in Christianity. We are talking about Edgar Cayce, Gene Dixon.
