Resurrection

Resurrection, or anastasis, is the concept of returning to life after death.

This idea is distinct from reincarnation, which involves a soul returning to life in a different body. It is also different from the belief in the disappearance of a body. In religious studies, resurrection is often categorized in two ways. One view focuses on the individual resurrection of souls that is ongoing. This is seen in concepts like Christian idealism or realized eschatology. The second view is a general, universal resurrection of all bodies at the end of the world. This is a standard eschatological belief within the Abrahamic religions.

In Christian theology, this return to life is often called the resurrection of the body. This includes terms like resurrectio carnis or resurrectio mortuorum. This specific phrasing exists for two primary reasons. First, many believe the soul cannot die, so it does not technically "return" to life. Second, it addresses historical debates regarding the nature of the resurrection. For example, the thinkers Hymeneus and Philitus argued that resurrection meant the soul rising from sin to grace. Christian creeds excluded this view to emphasize the return of the physical body.

Ancient Near Eastern religions provided some of the earliest recurrent themes of this concept. Egyptian and Canaanite religions included cults centered on dying-and-rising gods. Notable figures in these traditions include Osiris and Baal. Some scholars, like Tryggve Mettinger, argue that the theme of return to life is significant for many deities. These include Ugaritic figures like Melqart, Adonis, Eshmun, and Dumuzi. While researcher Sir James Frazer linked these gods to resurrection in his book The Golden Bough, many scholars believe his examples distort the original sources.

Ancient Greek religion held a complex view of immortality and resurrection. While some myths describe individuals being made physically immortal, the general attitude was often negative. For instance, the hero Achilles was snatched from his funeral pyre by his mother, Thetis. He was brought to an immortal existence in the Elysian plains. Other figures like Memnon, Alcmene, and Heracles are also interpreted as having achieved physical immortality. However, the god Asclepius was killed by Zeus for attempting to use herbs to resurrect the dead.

Christianity places the resurrection of Jesus at the center of its faith.

Most Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead in a material body. However, different groups hold varying interpretations of this event. The Watchtower Society claims Jesus was raised as an invisible spirit being, specifically the archangel Michael. They suggest his post-resurrection appearances were materializations of flesh and bones. This allows him to be seen and touched as proof of his resurrection. The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses believes Jesus's perfect human body was a sacrifice that was not taken back. They state he became a "life-giving spirit" and no longer needs a human body.

Other major belief systems also incorporate themes of rebirth or revival. In Hinduism, the core belief regarding the cycle of rebirth is known as saṃsāra. Buddhism contains legends where resurrection powers were allegedly shown in the Chan or Zen traditions. One such legend involves the Indian master Bodhidharma. Another involves the Chinese Chan master Puhua, whose story is found in the Record of Linji. These stories often involve unusual behaviors that break traditional prohibitions regarding such powers.

Beyond religious tradition, some people look toward speculative technologies. Cryonics is a practice used to preserve bodies for potential future revival. However, the resurrection of long-dead bodies is not possible with current scientific knowledge. The word resurrection itself comes from the Latin noun resurrectio. It is derived from the verb rego, meaning "to make straight," and the preposition sub, meaning "under." This creates a literal meaning of "a straightening from under again." This etymology captures the physical imagery of rising or standing up once more.