MODULE III. The Doctrine of Man

There is much in modern Christianity that owes its source to a blending of the Bible with Greek philosophy. This is especially true concerning the nature of man. Plato taught that man is an eternal "soul" or "spirit" being which has migrated from heaven into a material body of flesh within this material creation. The body is therefore a prison for the soul and death is an escape from this prison. The soul's destiny is to escape the material creation, including the body, to ascend back to heaven its real home. This was the foundation of the doctrine of reincarnation, the necessary process for the soul's purification before it could escape the physical creation entirely. This underlying philosophy has become a major component of modern Christianity. This module attempts to examine this topic by looking at how the Scripture progressively reveeals the true nature of man, death, and the hope of an afterlife.