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resurrection
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What does the word 'resurrection' mean in religion?
In religion, resurrection refers to a divine or human being rising from the dead while retaining their individuality. The belief in the resurrection of the body is mainly associated with Christianity, due to the Resurrection of Christ, but is also associated with later Judaism and Islam.
Zoroastrianism also believes in a final resurrection and judgment, with the world restored to righteousness. In Christianity, the resurrection of Jesus is a core doctrine, celebrated on Easter, signifying victory over sin and death for believers. Islam similarly teaches resurrection on Doomsday, followed by judgment based on deeds, determining entrance to paradise or hell.
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Which religions talk about resurrection?
The concept of resurrection, defined as rising from the dead while retaining personhood, appears in several religions.
Religions that include the concept of resurrection:
* Christianity The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a core doctrine, celebrating Jesus's rise from the dead and the promise of believers sharing in his victory over death.
* Islam Islam believes that all humans will die and be resurrected on Doomsday to be judged based on their deeds. The faithful will go to paradise, while unbelievers will be placed in hell.
* Judaism Later Judaism is associated with the belief in resurrection, influencing Christianity and Islam. The Book of Daniel anticipates both the righteous and unrighteous Israelites will be raised from the dead, followed by a judgment.
* Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism includes a belief in a general resurrection, a Last Judgment, and the restoration of the world to the righteous after the final defeat of evil.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How is resurrection described in Christianity?
In Christianity, the resurrection is a core doctrine rooted in the belief that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion, signifying his victory over sin and death. The Gospels detail the discovery of his empty tomb by women disciples, followed by appearances of Jesus to his followers in Jerusalem and Galilee.
These accounts emphasize that the resurrected Jesus was not a mere resuscitated corpse or a ghost but was substantially transformed. The resurrection of Christ is viewed as a declaration of his divine sonship and the basis for Christian hope for life after death. It also serves as an encouragement for believers to live a new life. The Christian hope focuses on the resurrection of the body, with the goal of redemption being the transformation of the whole person.
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What role does resurrection play in Islamic beliefs?
In Islamic belief, resurrection is a central theme tied to the Day of Judgment. On this day, the world will end, and all who have died will be resurrected to face judgment based on their deeds.
The Qurʾān uses moral and physical arguments to support the inevitability of resurrection, stating that God's omnipotence allows Him to destroy and restore life. Those who are condemned will suffer in hellfire, while the saved will experience the joys of paradise, both spiritual and corporeal. The Qurʾān assures believers of God’s assistance and their reward in paradise.
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How do Jewish views on resurrection differ from Christian and Islamic views?
Jewish, Christian, and Islamic views on resurrection share the concept of rising from the dead while retaining individual personhood. However, differences exist in the details and significance of this belief within each religion.
Judaism emphasizes the resurrection of the dead, particularly the righteous, as part of its eschatological hope, with the restoration of the psychosomatic unit.
Christianity centers on the Resurrection of Christ as a core doctrine, believing that through Jesus' victory over death, believers will also share in this triumph. The Gospels detail the accounts of Jesus' resurrection and appearances.
Islam teaches that on the Last Day, the dead will be resurrected and judged based on their deeds. The faithful will be rewarded with paradise, while unbelievers will face hell.
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Why is the concept of resurrection important for followers of these religions?
The concept of resurrection is a core tenet in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In Christianity, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central doctrine, representing his victory over death and the promise of eternal life for believers.
In Judaism, the concept evolved over time, with the Book of Daniel anticipating a resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous. Islam also teaches resurrection; on Doomsday, all humans will be raised from the dead to be judged, determining their eternal fate in either paradise or hell. Zoroastrianism shares a similar belief in a final resurrection and judgment, leading to the restoration of the world.
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resurrection, the rising from the dead of a divine or human being who still retains their own personhood, or individuality, though the body may or may not be changed. The belief in the resurrection of the body is usually associated with Christianity, because of the doctrine of the Resurrection of Christ, but it also is associated with later Judaism, which provided basic ideas that were expanded in Christianity and Islam.
Ancient Middle Eastern religious thought provided a background for belief in the resurrection of a divine being (e.g., the Babylonian vegetation god Tammuz), but belief in personal resurrection of humans was unknown. In Greco-Roman religious thought there was a belief in the immortality of the soul, but not in the resurrection of the body. Symbolic resurrection, or rebirth of the spirit, occurred in the Hellenistic mystery religions, such as the religion of the goddess Isis, but postmortem corporeal resurrection was not recognized.
The expectation of the resurrection of the dead is found in several biblical works. In the Book of Ezekiel, there is an anticipation that the righteous Israelites will rise from the dead. The Book of Daniel further developed the hope of resurrection with both the righteous and unrighteous Israelites being raised from the dead, after which will occur a judgment, with the righteous participating in an eternal messianic kingdom and the unrighteous being excluded. In some intertestamental literature, such as The Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, there is an expectation of a universal resurrection at the advent of the Messiah.
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The Resurrection of Christ, a central doctrine of Christianity, is based on the belief that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third day after his Crucifixion and that through his conquering of death all believers will subsequently share in his victory over “sin, death, and the Devil.” The celebration of this event, called Easter, or the Festival of the Resurrection, is the major feast day of the church. The accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus are found in the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and various theological expressions of the early church’s universal conviction and consensus that Christ rose from the dead are found throughout the rest of the New Testament, especially in the letters of St. Paul the Apostle (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15).
According to the Gospel accounts, certain woman disciples went to the tomb of Jesus, which was located in the garden of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin (the supreme Jewish religious court) and a secret disciple of Jesus. They found the stone sealing the tomb moved and the tomb empty, and they informed Peter and other disciples that the body of Jesus was not there. Later, various disciples saw Jesus in Jerusalem, even entering a room that was locked; he was also seen in Galilee. (Accounts of the locations and occasions of the appearances differ in various Gospels.) Other than such appearances noted in the Gospels, the account of the resurrected Lord’s walking the Earth for 40 days and subsequently ascending into heaven is found only in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.
Islam also teaches a doctrine of the resurrection. First, at Doomsday, all humans will die and then be raised from the dead. Second, each person will be judged according to the record of their life that is kept in two books, one listing the good deeds, the other the evil deeds. After the Judgment the unbelievers will be placed in hell and the faithful Muslims will go to paradise, a place of happiness and bliss.
Zoroastrianism holds a belief in a final overthrow of Evil, a general resurrection, a Last Judgment, and the restoration of a cleansed world to the righteous.
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