Exposing the Dichotomy,

“Immortality of the Soul Or Resurrection of the Dead? The Witness of the New Testament” by Oscar Cullmann.
The title puts forward the dichotomy, and there is one. Oscar Cullman then goes about illustrating this dichotomy by comparing the death of Socrates to the death of Jesus. Starting with an account of how these two men viewed death he shows the differences in how they died. In Greek philosophy and thought, that still dominates much of western thought despite some 2000 years of Christian influence, death is welcomed as the liberation of the soul. In Jewish/ Christian thought death is an enemy that robs a person of life, “the most precious good” that God has given us. Death takes both body and soul. It is not only the body that is susceptible to death, but also the soul. Jesus dies body and soul, and is raised in body and soul. Only if the soul too dies is the concept of resurrection possible.
Perhaps that is not the most earth shattering concept for Christians trained in theology. But it is one that is often missed on the laity. Not understanding the dichotomy between the immortality of the soul and the resurrection from the dead, is a hindrance to proclaiming the gospel. For the gospel is the fact that Christ conquered death in body and soul on the cross, by invading the territory of death with his death, and rising from the dead to give us life, and secure our resurrection. When this is not understood the gospel is not understood. The better this is understood the better the gospel is proclaimed, the more apt one is to believe upon hearing. Funeral sermons are rendered vapid by a misunderstanding of death and resurrection. Good Friday and Easter are meaningless where the immortality of the soul is held as proper Christian teaching.
For this reason, I highly recommend this book to pastors, theologians, and laity alike. It is written in simple down to earth language that does not require a degree in theology to follow, that despite the fact that Oscar Cullmann was a theological giant of the 20th Century. It is a great book to read in preparation for funerals, and Lent, Good Friday and Easter. It is short enough that it can be read within the confines of an afternoon, only 60 some pages.
I do not know if he has convinced me completely on the state of the dead between death and the Resurrection. He maintains that they too wait for the End. I don’t know if “wait” is the right word, though I do believe that it is at the end, when Christ comes to judge the living and the dead, that we are given our spiritual bodies, which are bodies, as Christ has a body. It is the relation of time, eternity and the End, that makes me wonder if the term “wait” is warranted. However, Oscar Cullmann gives one ample reason to hear his concerns and take them into account. It is a book I know I will be reading more than once, and pondering even more.