What do Christians believe happens after death, and what reasons are given for and against life after death?
Life after death: Christian beliefs about the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul, beliefs about heaven, hell and judgement, arguments used to support belief in life after death, and the main objections.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to life after death in Unit 7 Philosophy of Religion. Covers Christian beliefs about resurrection and the soul, heaven, hell and judgement, arguments used to support belief in life after death, and the main objections.
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What this dot point is asking
You need to explain Christian beliefs about life after death: the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul; beliefs about heaven, hell and judgement; the arguments used to support belief in life after death; and the main objections. CCEA examiners reward precise knowledge of Christian belief and balanced evaluation of the reasons for and against. The strongest answers explain what each belief means and then weigh the arguments and objections.
Resurrection and the immortality of the soul
So, whether expressed as resurrection or as the survival of the soul, the core Christian belief is that the person continues to exist with God beyond death.
Heaven, hell and judgement
Christian beliefs about life after death include judgement, heaven and hell.
- Judgement is the belief that, after death, people will be judged by God on how they have lived and responded to God.
- Heaven is understood as being with God, a state of perfect happiness and peace in God's presence, the hope of believers.
- Hell is understood as separation from God; many Christians today think of it less as a place of fire and more as the state of being apart from God.
Christians differ in how literally they picture heaven and hell, but they agree that what we believe and how we live matter for our relationship with God beyond death.
Arguments for life after death
These reasons do not give scientific proof, but for believers they make belief in life after death reasonable and give it deep importance.
The main objections
Belief in life after death faces objections. Critics argue there is no scientific proof that anything survives death. They point out that the mind seems to depend on the brain, which dies and decays, so it is hard to see how a person could continue. Near-death experiences may have natural explanations, such as the effects of a dying brain. And different religions describe the afterlife differently, which critics say weakens the case. Believers reply that these objections only show there is no scientific proof, not that life after death is impossible, and that the resurrection of Jesus and the justice of God give good reasons to believe.
How to answer a question on life after death
A model paragraph built from this method: "Christians believe death is not the end. Because Jesus rose from the dead, they believe they too will be raised to new life, and many believe the soul lives on. They believe there will be a judgement, after which they hope to be with God in heaven, a state of perfect happiness, while hell is understood as separation from God. These beliefs give Christians the hope of eternal life with God." This scores highly because it explains each belief and links it to Christian hope.
Try this
Q1. What is the difference between resurrection and the immortality of the soul? [2 marks]
- Cue. Resurrection is being raised to new life as Jesus was; immortality of the soul is the soul living on after the body dies.
Q2. How do many Christians understand heaven and hell? [2 marks]
- Cue. Heaven as being with God in perfect happiness; hell as separation from God.
Q3. Give one argument Christians use to support belief in life after death. [2 marks]
- Cue. The resurrection of Jesus, the justice of God requiring reward and judgement, religious experience, or the teaching of scripture.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 7 (style)5 marksExplain Christian beliefs about life after death.Show worked answer →
A five-mark AO1 question. Give two or three developed beliefs, not a list.
Resurrection: Christians believe that, because Jesus rose from the dead, they too will be raised to life after death, sharing in his resurrection.
Judgement, heaven and hell: Christians believe there will be a judgement, after which they hope to be with God in heaven, a state of being with God; hell is understood as separation from God.
The soul and eternal life: many Christians believe in the soul that lives on, and in the hope of eternal life with God, which gives meaning and comfort.
Develop each belief by explaining what it means. Two or three explained points reach the top of the mark band.
CCEA Unit 7 (style)12 marks'There is no good reason to believe in life after death.' Consider different points of view.Show worked answer →
A twelve-mark AO2 evaluation question. Give different points of view, refer to the statement and reach a justified judgement.
Agree: critics argue there is no scientific proof of life after death, that the mind seems to depend on the brain which dies, and that near-death experiences may have natural explanations, so there is no good reason to believe.
Other views: believers point to the resurrection of Jesus, to the justice of God requiring reward and judgement, to religious experience, and to scripture, so they argue there are good reasons to believe in life after death.
Judgement: argue that there is no scientific proof, but believers find the resurrection, justice and scripture convincing, so whether there is "good reason" depends on whether religious evidence is accepted. A balanced, supported judgement that refers to the statement reaches the top level.
Related dot points
- Arguments for the existence of God: the design (teleological) argument, the cause (cosmological) argument, the argument from religious experience and miracles, and the main objections to each.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to arguments for the existence of God in Unit 7 Philosophy of Religion. Covers the design argument, the cause argument, the argument from religious experience and miracles, and the main objections to each, with worked exam technique.
- The nature of God in philosophy: belief in God as omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent, as transcendent and immanent, and as personal, and the questions these qualities raise.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to the nature of God in Unit 7 Philosophy of Religion. Covers belief in God as omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent, as transcendent and immanent, and as personal, and the philosophical questions these qualities raise.
- The problem of evil and suffering: the difference between moral and natural evil, the challenge it poses to belief in an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God, and Christian responses including free will, soul-making and the example of Jesus.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to the problem of evil and suffering in Unit 7 Philosophy of Religion. Covers moral and natural evil, the challenge to belief in an all powerful and all loving God, and Christian responses including free will, soul-making and the example of Jesus.
- Experiencing God: ways believers claim to experience God, including prayer, worship, the numinous, conversion and miracles, what these experiences mean to believers, and the main reasons people question them.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to experiencing God in Unit 7 Philosophy of Religion. Covers ways believers claim to experience God including prayer, worship, the numinous, conversion and miracles, what they mean to believers, and the main reasons people question them.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Religious Studies specification — CCEA (2017)