Body, Soul & Life Everlasting, Summary

There are certain books that I am not quite sure how I can apply to my ministry. This is one of them. The primary things that I can think of are how I approach the concept of identity, death, and knowledge.

If we are to rightly understand ourselves as people created in

the image of God, we must see ourselves as existing beyond

the physical realm. Yet, we need to understand that God created

the material world and ultimately we will live physical lives in

eternity. This should shape the way that we understand ourselves

as it relates to our idenity in life.

But, it shapes our view of our life after death (or in between the

death and resurrection). We do continue to exist after death and

this is of utmost importance. So, if I were to perform a funeral,

offering this consolation will no doubt be comforting to a family.

Perhaps most disconcerting is the affects of the hard anthropological dualism espoused by Kant

The impact of this position has lead to a separation between the sacred and the secular as well

as the noumenal and phenomenal. I believe that all truth is God's truth and that there is more

to know than just the physical (whether it be the body or otherwise). So, in this debate, I must

affirm more than just a physical reality in my theology and preaching.