Christian Beliefs About the Afterlife
What do Christians believe happens after death? Learn the beliefs about resurrection, the soul, judgement, heaven, hell and purgatory, and how Christians can differ.
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Life after death
For Christians, death is not the end. They believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and that this gives hope of life after death for believers. This module covers what Christians believe about the afterlife. Remember that these are beliefs, and that Christians do not all believe exactly the same thing.
Soul, judgement, purgatory
Four terms run through this topic. Learn what Christians mean by each.
Heaven or hell?
Christians believe judgement leads to one of two destinations.
Match the term
- Resurrection
- Soul
- Judgement
- Purgatory
- The belief that the dead will rise to life again
- The non-physical part of a person that lives on
- The belief that God will judge each person
- A Roman Catholic belief in cleansing before heaven
Which belief is this?
Which belief is a state of cleansing before heaven, held mainly by Roman Catholics?
- Purgatory
- Heaven
- Hell
- Resurrection
Christians differ
Not all Christians believe the same thing. Roman Catholics accept purgatory, while most Protestants do not. Some Christians believe in bodily resurrection, while others believe in the immortality of the soul, which is the soul living on after the body dies. Heaven and hell may be understood as real places or as symbols. All look to eternal life, meaning life that never ends with God.
Which belief is showing?
- Heaven
- Hell
- Eternal life
- Immortality of the soul
- A funeral address saying she is now at home with God
- A sermon warning that turning from God can become permanent
- The promise that death is not the end of the story
- Why some Christians are untroubled that the body stays in the grave
After judgement
In Christian belief, which TWO of these are destinations a person may reach after judgement? Choose all that apply.
- Heaven
- Hell
- The soul
- Resurrection
The Christian belief
Put this sequence of Christian belief about death into a sensible order.
- A person dies
- The soul lives on
- God judges the person
- They go to heaven or hell
Resurrection, soul and judgement
Christians believe the dead will rise again in the _____. The non-physical part of a person is the _____. Christians believe God will carry out _____ on each person. Eternal life in the presence of God is called _____. A Roman Catholic belief in cleansing before heaven is _____.
Spot the beliefs
Tap the TWO things Christians believe happen after death.
- The soul lives on after death
- God judges each person
- The person simply ends at death
- The body stays the same for ever with no soul
Where do they go?
In Christian belief, where do those judged favourably by God go?
- Heaven
- Hell
- Purgatory
- The soul
Name the belief
For each description, choose the belief it matches.
- The belief that God cleanses a soul before it can enter heaven, held mainly by Roman Catholics. Which belief?
- The belief that a person is separated from God for ever. Which belief?
- The belief that the dead will rise to life again. Which belief?
Explain the beliefs
Explain Christian beliefs about life after death.
- Refer to resurrection and judgement
- Explain what Christians believe about heaven and hell
- Note that Christians can hold different views