The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

VI. Swedish Bishop Auleén-Immortality Divine “Gift,” Not “Human Prerogative”

Another noted Swedish Lutheran bishop making a major contribution at this time is GUSTAF AULEN, ³⁷ of Strängnästheologian educator, lecturer, and author. This is found in his The Faith of the Christian Church (1948), translated into English by Augustana’s Dean Eric H. Wahlstrom and G. Everett Arden, and issued by the Muhlenberg Press. Its excellence has been acclaimed beyond the borders of the Swedish Church by such scholars as Dr. Henry P. Van Deusen, president of Union Theological Seminary. CFF2 833.1

1. GREEK DUALISM VS. CHRISTIAN CONCEPT OF SALVATION

Aulen first notes the familiar “dualistic” concept as “emanating from the Greek mystery religion and philosophy which divide man into the two parts [soul and body, a higher, spiritual self issuing from the world of divine infinity, and a lower, sensual, and finite self.” The first, while in this life, is “confined in the prison of finite and material existence.” ³⁸ Under this specious theory “salvation consists in the release of the higher self from this prison.” But Aulen adds that “these ideas have during the ages exercised an influence upon Christianity,” leading first to CFF2 833.2

“an inclination to regard salvation as an ascending movement of the soul. In the second place, by reference to the divine element existing an men, the attempt has been made to bring about a rational motivation for the possibility of salvation by claiming that man possesses an ‘untainted core or something similar” ³⁹ CFF2 833.3

These, the bishop declares, “stand in sharp contrast to the Christian concept of salvation.” ⁴⁰ And he adds, “Christian faith must... reject” this “dualistic starting point.” ⁴¹ Aulén identifies this as the theory which maintains that the “‘immortality of the soul’ is something axiomatically given.” ⁴² His designation is clear. CFF2 833.4

Picture 3: Christ’s Second Coming
At Christ’s glorious Second coming the resurrected saints and the living righteous will be immortalized.
Page 834

2. ETERNAL LIFE” NOT NATURAL “PREROGATIVE” BUT RESURRECTION “GIFT.”

Now comes the heart of Aulén’s contention:
“This line of thought [innate immortality of the soul, which has emanated from a philosophical and idealistic matrix, stands in sharp contrast to the characteristic viewpoint of Christian faith. For Christian faith ‘eternal life’ is not a self-evident Prerogative of man, but is rather a gift which is given in and with man’s fellowship with God and is realized in and through the ‘resurrection.” ⁴³ CFF2 834.1

Picture 3: Gustaf E. H. Aulen
Gustaf E. H. Aulen (d. 1952), Swedish educator and bishop—immortality divine gift, not human prerogative.
Page 834

3. BODY-SOUL DISTINCTION FOREIGN TO ‘RESURRECTION FAITH.”

Aulen presses this point by declaring further:
“It is evident that the primitive Christian resurrection faith is of a different nature from the philosophical doctrine which regards the ‘soul’ as in itself immortal, and immortality as the liberation of the soul from the prison house of the body. Such a distinction between ‘soul’ and ‘body’ is absolutely foreign to the resurrection faith of the early church.” ⁴⁴ CFF2 834.2

There is no ambiguity here, and his declaration is historically true. CFF2 834.3

4. INNATE IMMORTALITY “FOREIGN TO FAITH. “

Contending that “sin” means “death,” and “salvation” means “life,” ⁴⁵ Aulén now leads up to the New Testament witness on “life and immortality.” ⁴⁶ Here he contrasts the “naturalistic” and the “Christian” ideas of salvation, and says, “The Christian idea of salvation is certainly not ‘naturalistic.’” Then he observes: CFF2 834.4

“Two factors seem to have been the cause of the neglect of this idea of salvation as life. In the first place, the starting point has generally been the idea of ‘the immortality of the soul’ as a quality belonging to the ‘nature’ of man, an idea which is foreign to faith.” ⁴⁷ CFF2 835.1

Its serious effect on the Christian faith is thus described by Aulén CFF2 835.2

“It is easy to understand that from this idealistic point of view the idea of salvation as life would be minimized. Death in this sense has lost the profound seriousness which it has in Christian faith. The passing from death to life has become something natural and self-evident. In the second place, this tendency represents a negative conception of the forgiveness of sins. The insight that forgiveness implies primarily the establishment of fellowship with God is not recognized.” ⁴⁸ CFF2 835.3

Aulén again buttresses this point by saying:
“Christian hope is, therefore, throughout the hope of faith. It does not rest on any theories of the indestructible nature of man or on ‘the immortality of the soul,’ but entirely on faith’s encounter with God.” ⁴⁹ CFF2 835.4

5. UNEQUIVOCALLY OPPOSED TO SPIRITUALISM’S FANTASIES

Aulen next touches on Romanism’s system of “merits” and Spiritualism’s attempts at communication: CFF2 835.5

“All those conceptions which are characteristic of the Roman church and which are based upon the idea of merits are invalidated. Likewise, the spiritualistic attempts to effect an external connection with the dead are foreign to Christian faith.” ⁵⁰ CFF2 835.6

Aulén enlarges upon these basic propositions in these words:
“If ‘immortality’ is not simply a rational idea for faith, that is to say, does not have its basis in idealistic theories about the indestructible nature of man... and if, instead, ‘eternal life’ is based entirely upon the relationship between God and man, in the creative and life-giving work of divine love, then faith can make no assertions about the relation between the quick and the dead which are not entirely determined by the Christian concept of the relationship between God and man.” ⁵¹ CFF2 835.7

He again speaks out against Spiritualism’s proclivities in these explicit words:
“Since Christian faith must oppose all such Roman conceptions which are based upon the impure idea of merits and are therefore foreign to the Christian relationship between God and man, it must also unequivocally oppose all spiritualistic attempts to establish a direct connection between the living and the dead.” ⁵² CFF2 836.1

Aulen’s repudiation of Spiritualism is unequivocal:
“When spiritualism attempts to become the representative spokesman for religion, Christian faith is compelled to repudiate it, for spiritualism leads away from that which is absolutely decisive for faith, namely, the relationship between God and man.” ⁵³ CFF2 836.2

Such is the impressive testimony of Bishop Aulén, of Strängnäs. CFF2 836.3