‘To what extent can belief in the existence of purgatory be justieied
Line of argument- there is not sufcient eviience to justfy that purgatory is a legitmate or
metaphorical place.
- no clear iiea of it in the New Testament but both catholic ani protestant use it as an
extension to the chance of reiempton beyoni this life.
- Preiestnaton- Calvin wouli eniorse thisp people prayei for the souls of the ieaip there
was a reason for this ani so this is why purgatory came about however Goi alreaiy knows
where youdre going ani so why io we neei purgatorye
- Purgatory was usei by the catholic church to use the believers to pay for an early escape
from purgatory ani exploit its believers.
- Bart says that the revelaton of Goi is your start ani eni point ani so reason is not
appropriate ani so the bible ioes not eniorse purgatory – the sheep ani the goatds parable
no in between a binary choice.
- Calvin wouli not agree with the iieology of purgatory being a place where if you have
sinnei you can work them of ani stll have the chance to enter heaven. He believei that
once you have sinnei that is inal you have no seconi chance of reiempton ani salvaton in
heaven ani nor io you ieserve it.
- Not a physical place it is a metaphor for the soulds awareness of sin. A journey is taken
between ieath ani the last juigement but there is stll no in between place it is just the
point of tme where we have to wait for juigement to go to heaven or hell.
- Foretaste of heaven ani hell – Ambrose consiierei purgatory to be a place where souls wait
for juigement ani have a taste at whatds in store for them.
- Probatonary school- rrigen arguei that purgatory was like a probatonary school where the
souls have the chance over ‘many worlisd of experience to ievelop ani perfect itself.
Reiempton of the whole creaton
- Gregory of Nyssa emphasisei the puriicaton purpose of purgatory so that all peoplep both
wickei ani gooip can be cleansei ani enter heaven. In this way Goi completes his purpose
to reieem ani restore the whole of creaton.
- Danteds vision of purgatory- for the souls who believei in Christ ani repentei before ieathp
now have the opportunity to purge themselves of any wrongful iesires or actonsp as now
unable to sin the process is entrely positve. This was a meiieval philosophical outlook on
purgatory as a physical place where people were given the opportunity to work of their sins.
- Hickds universalism states that everyboiy goes to either heaven or purgatory where they will
eventually learn to work of their sins ani enter heaven therefore eliminatng the neei for
hell. Similarlyp the parable of the sheep ani the goats states that everyboiy is welcome in
heaven but those that are consiierei less righteous have to go through purgatory irst ani
so it takes longer to become welcomei by Goi in heaven. Your spiritual journey contnues
after ieath.
- Catholic teaching on purgatory > acknowleiges no teaching in new testament but reasons
that iieas such as ‘purging by ired suggests that some sins can be forgiven in this age ani
the age to come. Just another stage of the souls journey to reiemptonp explains why the
church prays for the reiempton of the souls of the ieai.
Line of argument- there is not sufcient eviience to justfy that purgatory is a legitmate or
metaphorical place.
- no clear iiea of it in the New Testament but both catholic ani protestant use it as an
extension to the chance of reiempton beyoni this life.
- Preiestnaton- Calvin wouli eniorse thisp people prayei for the souls of the ieaip there
was a reason for this ani so this is why purgatory came about however Goi alreaiy knows
where youdre going ani so why io we neei purgatorye
- Purgatory was usei by the catholic church to use the believers to pay for an early escape
from purgatory ani exploit its believers.
- Bart says that the revelaton of Goi is your start ani eni point ani so reason is not
appropriate ani so the bible ioes not eniorse purgatory – the sheep ani the goatds parable
no in between a binary choice.
- Calvin wouli not agree with the iieology of purgatory being a place where if you have
sinnei you can work them of ani stll have the chance to enter heaven. He believei that
once you have sinnei that is inal you have no seconi chance of reiempton ani salvaton in
heaven ani nor io you ieserve it.
- Not a physical place it is a metaphor for the soulds awareness of sin. A journey is taken
between ieath ani the last juigement but there is stll no in between place it is just the
point of tme where we have to wait for juigement to go to heaven or hell.
- Foretaste of heaven ani hell – Ambrose consiierei purgatory to be a place where souls wait
for juigement ani have a taste at whatds in store for them.
- Probatonary school- rrigen arguei that purgatory was like a probatonary school where the
souls have the chance over ‘many worlisd of experience to ievelop ani perfect itself.
Reiempton of the whole creaton
- Gregory of Nyssa emphasisei the puriicaton purpose of purgatory so that all peoplep both
wickei ani gooip can be cleansei ani enter heaven. In this way Goi completes his purpose
to reieem ani restore the whole of creaton.
- Danteds vision of purgatory- for the souls who believei in Christ ani repentei before ieathp
now have the opportunity to purge themselves of any wrongful iesires or actonsp as now
unable to sin the process is entrely positve. This was a meiieval philosophical outlook on
purgatory as a physical place where people were given the opportunity to work of their sins.
- Hickds universalism states that everyboiy goes to either heaven or purgatory where they will
eventually learn to work of their sins ani enter heaven therefore eliminatng the neei for
hell. Similarlyp the parable of the sheep ani the goats states that everyboiy is welcome in
heaven but those that are consiierei less righteous have to go through purgatory irst ani
so it takes longer to become welcomei by Goi in heaven. Your spiritual journey contnues
after ieath.
- Catholic teaching on purgatory > acknowleiges no teaching in new testament but reasons
that iieas such as ‘purging by ired suggests that some sins can be forgiven in this age ani
the age to come. Just another stage of the souls journey to reiemptonp explains why the
church prays for the reiempton of the souls of the ieai.
