Body of resurrection

Body of Resurrection is a typical term of Esoteric Christianity, used to indicate a spiritual body associated with a special enlightenment or experience.

The Doctrine of the Spiritual Body

Many western and Eastern tradition share a common doctrine on a spiritual and immortal body which represent the ultimate goal of many ascetical works. [Henry Corbin, "Spiritual Body & Celestial Earth: From Mazdean Iran to Shi'ite Iran. Princeton University Press", 1977.] This concept of a spiritual and immortal body which has to be formed has many names according to several traditions. Sometimes the idea of such immortal body has been called as "the resurrection body" and "the glorified body" in Christianity, "the most sacred body" (wujud al-aqdas) and "supracelestial body" (jism asli haqiqi) in Sufism, "the diamond body" in Taoism and Vajrayana, "the light body" or "rainbow body" in Tibetan Buddhism, "the body of bliss" in Kriya Yoga, and "the immortal body" (soma athanaton) in Hermeticism.It has to be specified that each of these names belong to different tradition and every tradition has its own doctrine that differs from the others so it could be difficult to make a complete identification of the terms. Anyway all of these currents share a common teaching which is the idea of the formation, under special ascetical or supernatural conditions, of an immortal and spiritual body.

Properties of the Body of Resurrection

Focusing on the resurrection body, which means a spiritual body in an Esosteric Christian framework, we can find some properties of these bodies which are shared by all the esoteric christian movements. Indeed according to Biblical Scriptures, the resurrected bodies possess several proprierties [Tommaso Palamidessi, [http://www.archeosofica.org/en/index.php/Estratti-dai-Quaderni-di-Archeosofia/Propierties-and-Endowments-of-Resurrected-Bodies.html Propierties and Endowments of Resurrected Bodies] ] :
*immortality [I Corinthians, 15:53] [Luke, 20:35] [ Revelation, 21:4]
*integrity, implying the restitution of the limbs, the distinction of the sexes and the perfection of the senses;
*the excellent physique and physical beauty (natural prerogative).
*incorruptibility or impassibility, deriving from the perfect submission of the body to the soul, wherefore it will be preserved from any pain [ Isaiah, 25:8; 69:10] [ Rev. 7:16-17; 21:4)]
*clarity: the bodies of saints will reflect the light, the inner splendor of the soul, therefore, in the body they will conform to the Incarnate Word [Matthew, 13:43;] [ Wisdom,3:7] [ Daniel, 12:3] ;
*agility, so that the body of the saint, once free from the natural heaviness (imponderability), will be able to move rapidly from one place to another in the cosmos [Isaiah,60:31] [ St. Augustine, Serm. 242:3] ;
*thinness and the faculty to penetrate everything: the glorious body penetrates, without difficulty nor mutual damage, the other bodies in the Universe.The resurrection bodies, according to almost all the esoteric christian currents, will be taken for sure at the end of the time when there will be the resurrection of all the bodies of the dead, good and bad, to be judged by Jesus Christ and receive the eternal prize or the eternal punishment. [ Matthew, 22:23-32] [Luke, 20:27] [Acts, 4:1-2] [Acts, 23:8] [ Tommaso Palamidessi, [http://www.archeosofica.org/en/index.php/Estratti-dai-Quaderni-di-Archeosofia/The-Resurrection-According-to-Esoteric-Christianity.html Resurrection according to Esoteric Christianity] , ed Archeosofica, 1969 ] Beside this, most of esoteric christian currents believe that this very body can anyway be achieved during this lifetime with special ascetical exercise (which could change from the movement taken in consideration) or as a supernatural gift.

Guardian of the Threshold and the Resurrection Body

In some modern esoteric christian and theosophical oriented doctrines the resurrection body is related to the Guardian of the Threshold [ Franz Hartmann, "The Dweller of the Threshold", Reprinted from The Theosophist, Vol. XI 1889 ] [ Rudolf Steiner, "Building Stones for an Understanding of the Mystery of Golgotha: Lectures",Rudolph Steiner Pr, 1972 ] [ Max Heindel, "Gleaning of a Mystic",Rosicrucian Fellowship, 1919 ] . Although several authors spoke about both of these elements and sometimes they even relate them togheter (cfr. Rudolf Steiner, Max Heindel, etc...) the most developed theory explaining the relation between this two entities in a theosophical framework is probably due to Tommaso Palamidessi. In his, "The Guardian of the Threshold and the evolutionary way", Palamidessi identifies the spectral entity called the "lesser Guardian of the Threshold" with the "archetype of the future resurrection body". [Tommaso Palamidessi, "The Guardian of the Threshold and the evolutionary way", ed Archeosofica, 1969] In this line of thought the "lesser Guardian of the Threshold" has to be purified, constructed and molded to become the resurrection body of the individual.

ee also

*Esoteric Christianity
*Guardian of the Threshold
*Anthroposophy
*Archeosophy
*Theosophy
*Rainbow body

References

External links

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12792a.htm Resurrection] from the Catholic Encyclopedia
* [http://www.archeosofica.org/en/index.php/Estratti-dai-Quaderni-di-Archeosofia/The-Resurrection-According-to-Esoteric-Christianity.html Resurrection According to Esoteric Christianity] article by T.Palamidessi