“Thus Saith the Lord”: Edwardsean Anti-criterialism and the Physicalist Problem of Resurrection Identity

Bibliographic information:

Woznicki, Christopher. “‘Thus Saith the Lord’: Edwardsean Anti-Criterialism and the Physicalist Problem of Resurrection Identity.” TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology 2.1 (2018).

Description:

Description

The doctrine of bodily resurrection is a core tenet of Christian faith, yet it is a doctrine fraught with several philosophical problems, the most significant of which concerns the persistence of personal identity. This is especially true for physicalist accounts of human nature. Here I put forth a possible solution to the problem of resurrection identity. Turning to the theology of the 18th century American colonial theologian, Jonathan Edwards, as a resource, I argue for what I am calling “Edwardsean Anti-Criterialism.” This is a form of anti-criterialism in which pre- and post-resurrection bodies are identical because God treats these bodies as metaphysically one. After providing a sketch of this view I defend Edwardsean Anti-Criterialism from two objections and provide three reasons why Christians might be inclined to accept this proposal.

Publisher:

TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology (website: https://ojs.uclouvain.be/index.php/theologica/article/view/1333)