Eternal mysteries beyond the grave : orthodox teachings on the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, and life beyond the grave

Providing unique perspectives drawn from Russian Orthodox sources not easily found in the Western world, this book explores questions regarding the nature of God’s existence and the immortality of the human soul. It includes many examples of the awareness of life after death and argues that the expectation of a future life and faith in God form the foundation of a well-ordered life. This insightful look into the Orthodox Christian theology offers hope of something greater than a temporal existence and discusses questions relevant to every human being. Title Page Copyright CONTENTS Preface Introduction to the Second Edition Part I: BELIEF IN GOD AND THE EXISTENCE OF AN AFTERLIFE 1. Orthodox Teachings on the Existence of God 2. The Mystery of the Holy Trinity 3. The Immortality of Our Soul 4. The Origin of Death 5. The Actual Existence of the Devil 6. The Fallen Angels 7. St Anthony’s Struggles Against Devils 8. What Is Death? 9. What Is the Soul, and What Is Its Origin? 10. How Significant for Our Lives Is Belief in Immortality? Part II: TEACHING ON THE AFTERLIFE, HEAVEN, AND HELL 11. Proofs of Immortality 12. The Particular Judgment 13. Church Teaching on the Trials of the Departed 14. The Mystery of Death 15. Teaching from the Holy Fathers on the Journey After Death 16. The Mysteries of Life Beyond Death 17. A General View on the Immortality of the Soul and on Life Beyond the Grave 18. The Life of Departed Souls Before the Universal Judgment Part III: TALES FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE 19. The Journey Beyond Death as Revealed to Gregory, a Disciple of St Basil the New 20. Testimony of the Departed About the Immortality of the Soul and the Afterlife 21. The Deaths of the Christian Boys 22. Two Visions of the Heavenly Kingdom 23. Two Marvelous Occurrences 24. The Miraculous Dream of the Novice Thecla 25. The Clairvoyant Girl 26. The Experience of a Certain Ascetic 27. An Ancient Tale 28. The Soldier Taxiotes 29. The Tale of Gabriel Ivanovich Gonchar 30. A Tale from the Holy Mountain 31. The Suffering Paralytic Part IV: PRAYING FOR THOSE IN ETERNITY 32. How Important It Is to Remember the Dead 33. The Departed Request the Living to Pray for Them and Are Grateful 34. The Departed Appear to Their Relatives and Friends to Tell Them of Their Death 35. The Departed Take an Interest in Their Survivors 36. More Accounts of Appearances of the Departed Part V: PREPARING OURSELVES FOR DEATH 37. A Moral Conclusion to Be Drawn from the Previous Accounts 38. What the Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the Church Teach About the Location of Paradise 39. What the Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the Church Tell Us About the Location of Hell 40. The Future Punishment of Sinners 41. An Answer to the Eternal Question: Shall We Live After Death? An Attack on Atheism and the Doctrine That Death Is Final Part VI: FINAL WORDS ON IMMORTALITY 42. More About Proofs of Man’s Immortality and of the Preservation of His Own Identity After Death 43. After His Death, Man Preserves His Identity and Leads a Fully Spiritual Life Part VII: COMMENTS ON CHRISTIANITY, ENDTIMES, STRUGGLES, AND REWARDS 44. On the Holiness of the Christian Religion 45. A Last Word on the Divine Origin of the Christian Religion 46. The End of the World, the Resurrection of the Dead, and the Last Judgment 47. The Blessed Condition of the Righteous in the Future Life 48. About the Eternal Blessedness of the Saints Part VIII: CONCLUSION 49. A Defense of Christian Faith Against Disbelief 50. Final Exhortation—Stand Firm Appendix 1: A Prayer for Mercy Appendix 2: A Short Biography of Archimandrite Panteleimon Subject Index Scripture Index