41. Introduction
The study of the Last Things is the branch of sacred theology that studies what lies beyond man and the world. It explains what revelation—contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition—tells us about the events that shall take place at the end of the world and those following each person’s death.
This study is sometimes called de novissimis (“last things” in Latin), and also eschatology (from the Greek eskhata, “last things,” and logos, “study”). Both titles emphasize that it deals with the end, with the ultimate events of both the world and history, and of each person’s life on earth.
The study of the Last Things is usually placed toward the end of the theology curriculum. This subject is closely linked with the study of creation and Redemption. Moreover, it heavily depends on the truths that are provided by metaphysics on one hand and revelation on the other.1
It will be helpful, therefore, to recall the main principles of what we may call Christian anthropology—the principal truths about man, his nature, origin, and end. Some of these truths are attainable through reason alone, and others only through divine revelation.
1. What is Man?
Man is a being who is directly created by God in his origin.2 Two elements or principles constitute man, namely, a material body and an immortal and spiritual soul. These two are substantially united to each other; they constitute only one substance, the soul acting as substantial form of the body. Each person has his own soul, directly created by God when it is infused into the body. The body, on the other hand, comes from the parents through generation. The whole human race comes from one couple.3
This particular teaching is especially relevant today. Some emphasize the personal unity of man to the extent of reducing his being to pure matter. They thus deny the existence of the spiritual soul—proved by experience and metaphysics, and always upheld by the Magisterium. Others claim that the body-soul duality of man is an idea of Hellenic rather than biblical origin. This leads to denying intermediate eschatology—the events that befall man between death and resurrection.
Those who claim that the Church’s doctrine about man is based on Hellenic dualism show great ignorance of both Greek philosophy and biblical teachings on the body-soul composition of man. Hellenic anthropology and biblical anthropology differ greatly in their principles, methods of analysis, and conclusions. It is true, though, that Tradition, in order to convey the concept of man that is found in Sacred Scripture, has used Hellenic-like terminology, but it has retained a strictly biblical content. As a summary, we can say:
The doctrine of faith on the nature of man is clear and constant. Man is described as a being composed of body and soul, which are joined together in a profound unity. This duality in no way resembles that “dualism” having such derogatory connotations in Anthropology. Actually, “dualists” are those who, lacking an understanding of the intimate union between body and soul, conceive the marvelous human microcosm as two things (matter and spirit) accidentally and superficially united like water in a glass. These comparisons are used by Neoplatonic dualists, and Gnostics, to express their idea of man. Against that doctrine, we must affirm that the body and the soul are intimately joined together, forming a single being. But those in the opposite extreme also go against reality and the doctrine of the Church. Overreacting perhaps against a stereotyped dualism, or because of materialistic prejudices, they reduce man to mere matter or deny the specific properties of the components of man, like the spirituality and immortality of the soul.4
Footnotes:
1. The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the letter Recentiores Episcoporum Synodi (“On Certain Questions Pertaining to Eschatology”) pointed out that some hypotheses that question the existence of the soul raise doubts against the faith upheld by the Church. The letter goes on, saying that “if the content of the words ‘life everlasting’ is uncertain for Christians, the promises contained in the Gospel and the meaning of Creation and Redemption disappear, and even earthly life itself must be said to be deprived of all hope.”
2. Cf. CCC, 355–384.
3. Cf. DS 461, 462, 502, 567, 2135, 3514, 3897.
4. Manuel Guerra, El Enigma del Hombre (Pamplona, Spain: Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, 1978), 162–163.
This study is sometimes called de novissimis (“last things” in Latin), and also eschatology (from the Greek eskhata, “last things,” and logos, “study”). Both titles emphasize that it deals with the end, with the ultimate events of both the world and history, and of each person’s life on earth.
The study of the Last Things is usually placed toward the end of the theology curriculum. This subject is closely linked with the study of creation and Redemption. Moreover, it heavily depends on the truths that are provided by metaphysics on one hand and revelation on the other.1
It will be helpful, therefore, to recall the main principles of what we may call Christian anthropology—the principal truths about man, his nature, origin, and end. Some of these truths are attainable through reason alone, and others only through divine revelation.
1. What is Man?
Man is a being who is directly created by God in his origin.2 Two elements or principles constitute man, namely, a material body and an immortal and spiritual soul. These two are substantially united to each other; they constitute only one substance, the soul acting as substantial form of the body. Each person has his own soul, directly created by God when it is infused into the body. The body, on the other hand, comes from the parents through generation. The whole human race comes from one couple.3
This particular teaching is especially relevant today. Some emphasize the personal unity of man to the extent of reducing his being to pure matter. They thus deny the existence of the spiritual soul—proved by experience and metaphysics, and always upheld by the Magisterium. Others claim that the body-soul duality of man is an idea of Hellenic rather than biblical origin. This leads to denying intermediate eschatology—the events that befall man between death and resurrection.
Those who claim that the Church’s doctrine about man is based on Hellenic dualism show great ignorance of both Greek philosophy and biblical teachings on the body-soul composition of man. Hellenic anthropology and biblical anthropology differ greatly in their principles, methods of analysis, and conclusions. It is true, though, that Tradition, in order to convey the concept of man that is found in Sacred Scripture, has used Hellenic-like terminology, but it has retained a strictly biblical content. As a summary, we can say:
The doctrine of faith on the nature of man is clear and constant. Man is described as a being composed of body and soul, which are joined together in a profound unity. This duality in no way resembles that “dualism” having such derogatory connotations in Anthropology. Actually, “dualists” are those who, lacking an understanding of the intimate union between body and soul, conceive the marvelous human microcosm as two things (matter and spirit) accidentally and superficially united like water in a glass. These comparisons are used by Neoplatonic dualists, and Gnostics, to express their idea of man. Against that doctrine, we must affirm that the body and the soul are intimately joined together, forming a single being. But those in the opposite extreme also go against reality and the doctrine of the Church. Overreacting perhaps against a stereotyped dualism, or because of materialistic prejudices, they reduce man to mere matter or deny the specific properties of the components of man, like the spirituality and immortality of the soul.4
Footnotes:
1. The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the letter Recentiores Episcoporum Synodi (“On Certain Questions Pertaining to Eschatology”) pointed out that some hypotheses that question the existence of the soul raise doubts against the faith upheld by the Church. The letter goes on, saying that “if the content of the words ‘life everlasting’ is uncertain for Christians, the promises contained in the Gospel and the meaning of Creation and Redemption disappear, and even earthly life itself must be said to be deprived of all hope.”
2. Cf. CCC, 355–384.
3. Cf. DS 461, 462, 502, 567, 2135, 3514, 3897.
4. Manuel Guerra, El Enigma del Hombre (Pamplona, Spain: Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, 1978), 162–163.