The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection

The near-death experience (NDE) is argued to be strictly a feeling that the percipient regards as a reality, yet some say it is strictly a brain malfunction that allows visions of various images to be seen and stored in human memory. Percipients of the NDE have reported a feeling of separation from...

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Main Authors: Stephen Hosea Vongdip, Agai Matthew Jock
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Network for African Congregational Theology 2025-05-01
Series:African Theological Journal for Church and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://atjcs.netact.org.za/index.php/netact/article/view/221
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author Stephen Hosea Vongdip
Agai Matthew Jock
author_facet Stephen Hosea Vongdip
Agai Matthew Jock
author_sort Stephen Hosea Vongdip
collection DOAJ
description The near-death experience (NDE) is argued to be strictly a feeling that the percipient regards as a reality, yet some say it is strictly a brain malfunction that allows visions of various images to be seen and stored in human memory. Percipients of the NDE have reported a feeling of separation from their physical bodies. They claim that there is a spiritual body in them that rises above, leaving their physical bodies behind during their near-death experiences. Christians have a fundamental belief that Jesus was resurrected from death with a physical body that was also spiritual or supra in nature, and they also believe that those who died in Christ shall be resurrected, but with what kind of body shall they be resurrected? The NDE is a pre-death experience while resurrection is a post-death experience. However, both experiences suggest the emanation of a unique or supra being from the body and, while resurrection encourages a reunification of the body and soul, the NDE encourages a separation between the body and the soul. The question regarding the nature of the resurrection body is the focus of this research. The researchers argue that the study of the NDE can contribute to elucidating the nature of the resurrection body. This research is literary and comparative in approach because the views of various authors are evaluated in the search to establish the connection between the resurrection body and the NDE supra body.
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spelling doaj-art-cb8300cd5da94fc98735724bbfee480d2025-08-20T03:48:46ZengNetwork for African Congregational TheologyAfrican Theological Journal for Church and Society2708-75572708-75652025-05-0161The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection Stephen Hosea Vongdip0Agai Matthew Jock1Gindiri Theological SeminarySchool of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, University of KwaZulu Natal The near-death experience (NDE) is argued to be strictly a feeling that the percipient regards as a reality, yet some say it is strictly a brain malfunction that allows visions of various images to be seen and stored in human memory. Percipients of the NDE have reported a feeling of separation from their physical bodies. They claim that there is a spiritual body in them that rises above, leaving their physical bodies behind during their near-death experiences. Christians have a fundamental belief that Jesus was resurrected from death with a physical body that was also spiritual or supra in nature, and they also believe that those who died in Christ shall be resurrected, but with what kind of body shall they be resurrected? The NDE is a pre-death experience while resurrection is a post-death experience. However, both experiences suggest the emanation of a unique or supra being from the body and, while resurrection encourages a reunification of the body and soul, the NDE encourages a separation between the body and the soul. The question regarding the nature of the resurrection body is the focus of this research. The researchers argue that the study of the NDE can contribute to elucidating the nature of the resurrection body. This research is literary and comparative in approach because the views of various authors are evaluated in the search to establish the connection between the resurrection body and the NDE supra body. https://atjcs.netact.org.za/index.php/netact/article/view/221BodyDeathExperiencesResuscitationResurrectionScientific
spellingShingle Stephen Hosea Vongdip
Agai Matthew Jock
The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection
African Theological Journal for Church and Society
Body
Death
Experiences
Resuscitation
Resurrection
Scientific
title The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection
title_full The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection
title_fullStr The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection
title_full_unstemmed The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection
title_short The Contribution of the Study of the Near-Death Experience to the Christian Concept of Resurrection
title_sort contribution of the study of the near death experience to the christian concept of resurrection
topic Body
Death
Experiences
Resuscitation
Resurrection
Scientific
url https://atjcs.netact.org.za/index.php/netact/article/view/221
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