The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

IV. Welsh Dean North-Body Necessary for Resurrected Personality

A similar strain was heard in Wales-that in the Bible it is not discarnate immortal souls but resurrected men who are set forth, with the resurrected body requisite to the continuance of “human personality.” This was presented briefly by Methodist CHRISTOPHER R. NORTH, ¹¹ professor of Hebrew and dean of the faculty of University College, North Wales, in a lecture to teachers in 1947. He was dealing with the faith of the Old Testament, preceding the rise of Christianity. Having spoken of “moral retribution” and “retributive righteousness,” North turns to the “future life” as set forth in the Old Testament. ¹² CFF2 829.1

1. SURVIVAL NOT AN INALIENABLE RIGHT

After referring to a “resurrection from the dead,” as disclosed in Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2, Professor North says:
“We have seen that the Old Testament did not think of man as an incarnated, immortal soul, but as an animated body; that the body, for it, was an essential constituent in human personality. Hence, when the Jews did at last come to believe in life after death they spoke in terms of the resurrection of the body, not, in Greek fashion, of the immortality of the soul. That is, historically, the reason why, when we recite the Creed, we say, not ‘I believe in the immortality of the soul,’ but ‘I believe in the resurrection of the body.’” ¹³ CFF2 829.2

Dr. North concludes with the supporting statement that “according to the thought of the Old Testament any life to come is of God’s grace, not an inalienable portion of human nature.” ¹⁴ CFF2 829.3

So the “life to come” was, according to Professor North, definitely “in terms of resurrection.” ¹⁵ CFF2 829.4