Psychopannychism
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Psychopannychism (from Greek psuche (soul, mind) + pannucizein (to last the night)) refers to the belief that the soul remains conscious after death (i.e. it lasts the night of death). However, in common usage, it has come to refer to the opposite view, a belief held by some Christians which claims that between death and the resurrection of the dead, the body and soul rest together in unconsciousness. This error occurs commonly because Calvin used the term "psychopannychia" as the title of his book to attack the doctrine of soul sleep. It is sometimes referred to as "soul sleep". One who believes in the doctrine of psychopannychism is a psychopannychite or psychopannychist.
It is similar, but not identical, to thnetopsychism (from Greek thnetos (mortal) + psuche (soul, mind)), the view that the soul is mortal and actually dies with the body to be recalled to life at the resurrection.
In Christianity, it has predominantly been viewed, in the past and in the present, as a heresy.
Contents
Supporters
Famous historical psychopannychites and thnetopsychists have included:
- William Tyndale (1484-1536), English Bible translator
- * "And ye, in putting them [the departed souls] in heaven, hell and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection...And again, if the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be not in as good a case as the angels be ? And then what cause is there of the resurrection ?" - William Tyndale, An Answer to Sir Thomas More's Dialogue (1530)
- Martin Luther (1493-1546), German reformer and Bible translator
- *"Salomon judgeth that the dead are a sleepe, and feele nothing at all. For the dead lye there accompting neyther dayes nor yeares, but when they are awaked, they shall seeme to haue slept scarce one minute." - Martin Luther, An Exposition of Salomon's Booke, called Ecclesiastes or the Preacher (translation 1573)
- John Milton (1608-1674), English poet and Latin secretary to Oliver Cromwell
- * "Inasmuch then as the whole man is uniformly said to consist of body, and soul (whatever may be the distinct provinces assigned to these divisions), I will show, that in death, first, the whole man, and secondly, each component part, suffers privation of life...The grave is the common guardian of all till the day of judgment." - John Milton, De Doctrina Christiana (never published)
- Isaac Newton (1643-1727), English physicist
Opponents
Opponents of psychopannychism and thnetopsychism include most mainline Protestant denominations,, and some Fundamentalists. Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church. The latter views it as a serious heresy:
Whereas some have dared to assert concerning the nature of the reasonable soul that it is mortal, we, with the approbation of the sacred council do condemn and reprobate all those who assert that the intellectual soul is mortal, seeing, according to the canon of Pope Clement V, that the soul is [...] immortal [...] and we decree that all who adhere to like erroneous assertions shall be shunned and punished as heretics. Fifth Council of the Lateran (1513)
Bible verses used to support psychopannychism or thnetopsychism
Supporters of these doctrines claim that biblical support is given by both the Old and New Testaments.
- Genesis 3:19. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
- Job 3:17. "There (the grave) the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest."
- Psalms 6:5. "For in death there is no remembrance of thee:in the grave who shall give thee thanks?"
- Ecclesiastes 3:19-20. "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts: even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust and all turn to dust again."
- Ecclesiastes 9:4-6,10. "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die ; but the dead know not anything [...] also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished [...] Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."
- John 11:11-14. "These things said he (Jesus): and after that he said unto them (the disciples), Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I might awaken him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spoke of his death; but they thought he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. The said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead."
Bible verses believed to contradict psychopannychism or thnetopsychism
- Matthew 22:23-33. "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine."
- Luke 16:19-31. "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
- Luke 23:43. "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."
- Acts 7:59. "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
- 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
- Philippians 1:21-25. "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;"
- Revelation 6:9,10. "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
- And they cried with a loud voice, saying,"How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
See also
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