Dr. Michael Peppard

Like, what's the next piece? These are the questions asked in 1 Thessalonians of Paul in the New Testament. They're like, some people have died in our community. What's next? You know, where are they? Where do they go? Very valid question. if you're coming from a traditional Greco-Roman belief system about immortality or about mortality. And then, you know, and then it comes to this.

Like, what's the next piece? These are the questions asked in 1 Thessalonians of Paul in the New Testament. They're like, some people have died in our community. What's next? You know, where are they? Where do they go? Very valid question. if you're coming from a traditional Greco-Roman belief system about immortality or about mortality. And then, you know, and then it comes to this.

So amid all of that, do we have ideas of reincarnation?

So amid all of that, do we have ideas of reincarnation?

Well, oh, yeah. I mean, the idea would be like if people say that Jesus is Elijah come back from the dead. Or like John the Baptist is Elijah has come back from the dead. Is that kind of what you mean? Perhaps, yeah.

Well, oh, yeah. I mean, the idea would be like if people say that Jesus is Elijah come back from the dead. Or like John the Baptist is Elijah has come back from the dead. Is that kind of what you mean? Perhaps, yeah.

So, I mean, I never thought of that as reincarnation. I guess I just thought of it as like a... you are the second version of this prior person, you know, you're like, right. You carry on his legacy, carry on this legacy. Um, But there's no doubt that Elijah is the most prominent northern Israelite prophet in the tradition. And so they're calling upon that legacy quite frequently.

So, I mean, I never thought of that as reincarnation. I guess I just thought of it as like a... you are the second version of this prior person, you know, you're like, right. You carry on his legacy, carry on this legacy. Um, But there's no doubt that Elijah is the most prominent northern Israelite prophet in the tradition. And so they're calling upon that legacy quite frequently.

And I think Jesus himself is characterized in some ways that resemble Elijah. Interesting. And in Jesus' own synagogue sermon in Luke chapter 4, when he's talking about...

And I think Jesus himself is characterized in some ways that resemble Elijah. Interesting. And in Jesus' own synagogue sermon in Luke chapter 4, when he's talking about...

talking about his own mission, his own ministry, and kind of laying out a charting for his ministry, he refers to Elijah and says that in the days of a famine, Elijah went out to preach the way that I'm going to preach and to heal the way that I'm going to heal and to provide these blessings that I'm going to provide. But I never really thought of that as reincarnation. I thought of it as a

talking about his own mission, his own ministry, and kind of laying out a charting for his ministry, he refers to Elijah and says that in the days of a famine, Elijah went out to preach the way that I'm going to preach and to heal the way that I'm going to heal and to provide these blessings that I'm going to provide. But I never really thought of that as reincarnation. I thought of it as a

Because I think when I think of reincarnation, I think of it on the traditional South Asian model of a chain of being.

Because I think when I think of reincarnation, I think of it on the traditional South Asian model of a chain of being.

Right, and that you move among species too, right? That you're not just, it's not like human, just human to human.

Right, and that you move among species too, right? That you're not just, it's not like human, just human to human.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, I think the close, I don't know, the closest we would get to that in early Christianity is the idea of pre-existing souls, right? I would say. Where is that talked about? A lot of places. I mean, it's, it's a big question of like, besides post-mortal existence, you know, pre-mortal existence, like do, do souls exist before they're embodied? And if so, where are they?

Yeah, I mean, I think the close, I don't know, the closest we would get to that in early Christianity is the idea of pre-existing souls, right? I would say. Where is that talked about? A lot of places. I mean, it's, it's a big question of like, besides post-mortal existence, you know, pre-mortal existence, like do, do souls exist before they're embodied? And if so, where are they?