The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

IV. Swedish Bishop Resurrection Life, Not Discarnate Existence

As mentioned, the international scope of the revolt against the Platonic Innate Immortality postulate as a pagan intrusion —and its corollary, the Eternal Torment of the wicked—is impressive. We note another witness, again in Scandinavia. According to Prof. Dr. Hjalmar Lindroth, in 1929 a Swedish association for a new reformation (Sveriges religiösa reformforbund) was founded by Emanuel Linderholm. In fact, the organization published a journal, Religion och kultur. Various men of eminence gave support to its objectives and emphasis. For example, there was Bishop TOR JULIUS ANDRAE, ³⁵ of Linksping, Sweden. CFF2 789.5

1. DEATH MEANS DESTRUCTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

In his book Det Osynligas Varld (“The Unseen World”), Bishop Andrae wrote concerning “consciousness” in death: “If death means the dissolution of the cell formation that constituted our personality, it must mean the destruction of our consciousness.” ³⁶ CFF2 790.1

Deploring the widespread acceptance of Spiritualism as “depressing,” the bishop places upon Platonism responsibility for the popular belief in Innate Immortality: CFF2 790.2

“Plato’s thoughts concerning the soul have become determinative for the thought and belief of millenniums, the foundation for the doctrine of the Christian Church, and the basis for the philosophical speculation.” ³⁷ CFF2 790.3

2. RESURRECTION OF BODY AND SOUL AS “ENTITY.”

Bishop Andrae likewise expresses concern over the connection of Innate Immortality with primitive animism and its implications, fearing it will alter the concept of continuing “human personality.” ³⁸ He also notes the intrusion of Dualism. Then, turning to the positive and scriptural side, the Bishop feels it to be his “duty” to state “why the resurrection appears to me to give the deepest expression for the Christian belief in eternal life.” It provides “real life in a real world.” This is based on the resurrection, and of body and soul as an “entity,” not with the soul as an emaciated shadow with a discarnate-soul existence. As to the Biblical truth, Bishop Andrae says: CFF2 790.4

“It [the Bible] tells us that the life which we expect in the coming age, will be a real life in a real world. The belief in the resurrection grants the right to the clear and inescapable view of the natural, nonconfused sense concerning the human being as an entity of soul and body. It delivers us from the gloomy conception of an eternally brooding, enfeebled, non-productive soul-existence, an existence without being or doing, which is more terrifying than death itself.” ³⁹ CFF2 791.1

So, wherever we turn we find essentially the same concern and virtually the same developing concepts and expressions. There is an undeniably harmonizing chorus of dissent against the traditional view of the nature of man. CFF2 791.2