The Resurrection of the Flesh

Abstract

Christian theology’s relationship with creation and the human body has generally, at best, been full of tension. This has contributed significantly to the Western mind-body problem. The ancient church directly confronted the Gnostic denigration of creation and bodies in what would become the Apostles Creed. This creed originally confessed belief in “the resurrection of the flesh.” Martin Luther reoriented Christian vocation away from the ancient and medieval Christian denial of the biological family and harsh treatment of the flesh to the fleshly estate of marriage and family. Furthermore, his doctrine of the sacraments denied any inherent contradiction between the spirit and the flesh.