Religious Immortality

Thomas Merton: “The day may come when we will have to pass through death, with our body. But at that time if we have trusted God and believed Him and sought to understand his ways with us, we will pass into a new life, which we do not understand, and which we can only accept from Him as a secret gift of His love.”

Many letter writers offered different approaches to faith and the fear of death. One prominent approach is “Trust in God.” This perspective ultimately regards death as a necessary part of a larger, secret plan laid out by God, in which we can achieve eternal life and salvation. Thomas Merton, a famed theologian, writes to Mrs. Kaderli, “The day may come when we will have to pass through death, with our body. But at that time if we have trusted God and believed Him and sought to understand his ways with us, we will pass into a new life, which we do not understand, and which we can only accept from Him as a secret gift of His love.” This sentiment follows traditional Christian understandings of death and the afterlife, and how a life dedicated to the teachings of Christ can provide eternal salvation. Instead of trying to explain away death, Merton instead approaches the problem as a non-issue. There is nothing to worry about death, according to this perspective, because God already has a plan. Although one does not know what this afterlife consists of, part of being religious is trusting in a benevolent god that this afterlife will be good, and thus we should not fear or worry about death.

Radoslav A. Tsanoff: “This is the basic conviction, as I see it. Man’s spirit refuses to admit its own extinction; reason refuses to reason itself out of existence: and indeed, how could it do so? But if you now proceed to ask specific question about the hearafter, it is a wise man who confesses his inability to answer them, and also who is unwilling to turn at this point to imaginings and to mythology. Thus the grave reflection about our destiny pursues but also quails before the Great Perhaps. So St. Paul very wisely said: 'Behold, I tell you a mystery.' And St. John; 'It is not yet made manifest what we shall be.' “

Furthermore, to some, this trust is not just about submission to the ultimate mystery of the afterlife, but also a complete rejection of any speculation. This view is put forth by Mrs. Kaderli’s philosophy professor, Radoslav A. Tsanoff, who outright rejects any musings about what this afterlife may consist of, calling them “imaginings and mythology.” He states that “it is a wise man who confesses his inability to answer them…” Instead, he presents quotes from the Bible: "St. Paul very wisely said: 'Behold, I tell you a mystery.’ And St. John; ‘It is not yet made manifest what we shall be.’" This understanding involves nearly blind faith and absolute trust in something far greater than any individual, and far beyond understanding. This ties into the belief that death is not even an inconvenience in the minds of the truly religious. Instead, it is a stepping stone to something far greater. This trust alleviates the anxiety surrounding the unknowns of death.