Body Soul and Life Everlasting

by John W. Cooper

This widely acclaimed study of biblical anthropology is available once more along with a substantial new preface by the author. Fully engaged with theological, philosophical, and scientific discussions on the nature of human persons and their destiny beyond the grave, John Cooper's defense of "holistic dualism" remains the most satisfying and biblical response to come from the monism-dualism debate. First published in 1989, Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting is required reading for Christian philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and students interested in the mind-body question.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Anthropology, Christian, Christianity, Biblical Studies

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

John W. Cooper (PhD, University of Toronto) is professor of philosophical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. He has written Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting: Anthropology and the Monism-Dualism Debate and Our Father in Heaven: Christian Faith and Inclusive Language for God.

Reviews

[Conner Hinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really helpful book if you are seeking to understand the discussion regarding whether the Bible teaches a monistic or a dualistic view of human constitution. Cooper uses a more basic definition of dualism than is typically used in substance dualism or hierarchical dualism. I think Cooper argues convincingly from the biblical texts that scripture describes human persons in terms of “dualistic holistic.” He also demonstrates how this view is tenable in response to contrary arguments.

[Ben Adkison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book. Tough / technical in some places. Convinced by the author’s argument however.

[Kessia Reyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book argues for anthropological dualism over against monism.

I liked Cooper's clear thinking and his effort to argue reasonably, taking pains to not overextend the evidence or unfairly portray his opposition. I also liked the book because he gave me an opportunity to really consider dualism again as an option.

Ultimately, he did not convince me and I remain (from the biblical text) a convinced monist.

His argument was based on an inverted yet giant pyramid of evidence, with the most important passages being explained by the light, debatable evidence from the intertestamental and OT periods. If you disagree with his read of the OT as I do, you'll find it extremely difficult to find his NT conclusions tenable.

[Joshua Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been skeptical about dualism for a while now, especially with the tacit uncritical assumption often found in the church that it is the biblical view. However, I now stand firmly convinced of the holistic dualism advocated in this book. It is superbly argued - winsome, irenic, and open to possibilities. The lack of incendiary rhetoric allows the clear argumentation to shine through and demonstrate its very reasonable conclusions.

There are inevitably scratches that weren't itched - discussions of how the soul functions when disembodied or how it actually moves from the body to hades at death. Alas, those questions, while related to the book's thesis, ultimately fall outside its scope.

[Jaden A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper’s book is an excellent defense of what he labels as 'Holistic Dualism.' Dualism represents body and soul, whereas holism showcases that unity of the two components.

Cooper’s book is broken down into ten chapters:

1. Traditional Christian Anthropology and Its Modern Critics
2. Old Testament Anthropology: The Holistic Emphasis
3. Old Testament Anthropology: The Dualistic Implication
4. The Anthropology of the Intertestamental Period
5. The Monism-Dualism Debate about New Testament Anthropology
6. Anthropology And Personal Eschatology in the New Testament: The Non-Pauline Writings
7. Anthropology And Personal Eschatology in the New Testament: The Pauline Epistles
8. New Testament Eschatology and Philosophical Anthropology
9. Practical And Theological Objections against Dualism
10. Holistic Dualism, Science, and Philosophy

Cooper labors to show that a dualistic anthropology is true to the witness of the Scriptures and not merely due to the influence of Greek Hellenistic philosophy. Although, the one point I wish he were to have made in the book is the following: even if New Testament teaching of dualism were a product of Greek Hellenistic philosophy it would not matter since the scriptures are verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. Thus, the objection that such a dualistic anthropology is influenced by Greek thinking is a non sequitur.

Aside from this, I think that Cooper does an excellent job explicating Old and New Testament passages that speak to the existence of body and soul. Chapter nine lays out objections against monism (what is typically referred to in philosophy as physicalism) and chapter ten presents philosophical anthropological models that are consistent with a Biblical anthropology. All things considered this is a great introduction to Philosophy of Mind for those Reformed brethren that are skeptical of the place of philosophy in the Christian life. Additionally, it is refreshing to be reminded that we are ensouled flesh, not merely ‘a soul with a body’ or ‘a body with a soul.’ Thus communicating to us the 'holism' for which we were created contra heresies of the early church.

[Josh Trice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper rejects the dualism put forward by wayward movements in the faith (such as Gnosticism) as well as the counter-push of monism put forward by modernism and post-modernism. In contrast to these opposing views, Cooper puts forward and defends a moderate view of "dualistic holism." This view, Cooper successfully demonstrates, upholds the necessity (and goodness) of the body as well as the intermediate state until the final resurrection at Christ's second coming.

This isn't the most digestible book, nor is it the clearest. But, I think the conclusions and several of the helpful points made (especially early on) are helpful tidbits for Christian's to chew on. I would certainly recommend this to anyone looking into the topic of biblical anthropology.

Not sure I agree with all of Cooper's views, but this is well done nonetheless.

[Laura Hartness · Rating 4 out of 5]

From an academic standpoint, Cooper's treatment of the anthropological study of life after death is thorough and extensive. As a reader I at times found it repetitive, but this was probably due to the author's desire to cover all topics as completely as possible. Although this was used as a textbook on the master's level, I found it readable and not overly elite in its vocabulary. I do recommend this to anyone doing a serious study or research paper on the subject, but not necessarily for someone looking for a bit of diversion. Popular topics such as near-death experiences are covered very briefly, but most of the content is appropriately grounded in scripture and the historical views of the afterlife.

[Sam]

Sadly, I do not remember much. But I remember thinking Cooper's discussion is thoughtful and precise. He looks at Old Testament, Inter-Testament, and New Testament texts as well as Hebrew and Greek worldviews. His thesis is dualism: there are two fundamentally distinct parts of the human. There is what we typically call the physical body and there is also a soul.

Not really relevant but I went to church with John Cooper and found him to be an intelligent and kind man.

[Sam Nesbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible treatment on theological anthropology. It is very clearly written and is overall easy to understand (the last sections summarizing different dualistic philosophies are the most advanced). Approaches the subject with a good balance of biblical analysis and philosophical argumentation. Very strong articulation of the Christian holistic dualism.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the top three books I have read on the theology and philosophy regarding biblical anthropology. Although it gives short shrift to tripartite views, it covers the issues between mono and multipart anthropologies. Covers the history of anthropological thought in Christendom well. Great read.

[Jake Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book. Even if I am not fully on board with his holistic dualism, it is intriguing and I think it’s incredibly faithful to the biblical text and the philosophical data. Definitely read if you feel like making sense of the mind-body problem is annoying to do as a Christian!

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent survey of Old Testament, Inter-testament, and New Testament sources to illuminate the monism-dualism debate in modern Biblical scholarship, favoring the dualist position.

[Steve Herreid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, superb scholarship yet easily understandable to the layperson (except for the last chapter!).

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good accessible survey of the Old, inter and new testament views on the doctrine of the afterlife.

[Matthew C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Persuasive case that the Bible really does teach a dualism of body and soul. Cooper deals with all the relevant textual and exegetically issues handily.

[Brian Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Christians think of conflicts between prevailing scientific theories of science and the Bible, the creation-evolution debate comes readily to mind. But other areas of conflict exist as well, including whether the humans have a soul or not. For many the soul seems to be unneeded as scientists can map the functions of the mind to the brain, reducing the mental to the physical. Cooper defends the traditional Christian position that humans have distinguishable souls and bodies. He grants, however, that Scripture tends to speak of people holistically. In contrast to monists (who deny that humans have a soul), Cooper identifies his position as "holistic dualism" or "dualistic holism."
The heart of Cooper's argument is that the Bible teaches that humans exist and interact in an intermediate state between death and the resurrection of the body. The fact of the intermediate state indicates soul and body must be separable. He considers alternative approaches such as "soul-sleep" or immediate resurrection and finds them exegetically lacking. Prior to making this argument, Cooper surveys Scripture and finds that it emphasizes holism but presupposes a dualism. In other words, the emphasis of Scripture is on the whole person though it can distinguish body and soul. After making his argument that the intermediate state requires a distinction between soul and body, Cooper examines theological, philosophical, and scientific objections. For instance one theological objection is that the Bible portrays the dead as bodily beings. In response, Cooper notes a number of responses are possible that harmonize with holistic dualuism: the language in those instances is not intended to be metaphysical, that souls maintain a bodily from, as Thomas Aquinas taught, or that the dead are "quasi-bodily" beings. The primary scientific objection is that states of mind and emotions can be mapped to the brain; indeed that these states of mind are not even possible when certain areas of the brain are damaged. Cooper responds on a number of levels: (1) The correlation between mind and brain is more complex than direct correlation. (2) He denies that even exact mind-brain correlation would not prove that it is the brain the causes all mental activity. While granting that the brain can affect the mind (something Cooper says has been known since people began to drink alcohol), there is no reason to deny that the mind affects the brain. (3) Cooper highlights the importance of distinguishing between empirical data from brain studies and the interpretation of that data. Materialism would be one interpretation, idealism another, and body-soul interaction another.

In all Cooper tackles a complex subject in an understandable fashion and with compelling argumentation.

[Tyler Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the debate. I highly recommend this book to anyone working through dualism or theological anthropology.

[Kristofer Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book suffers from the general Protestant tendency to ignore the Church Fathers. How you can write a book on theological anthropology without mentioning Maximus the Confessor is beyond me. But their has been a great deal of modern Eastern Orthodox work on the subject that is apparently unknown to the author. For example, much of the work of Elder Sophrony & Father Zachariah (Zacharou) deals with this subject. You could also have mentioned Vladimir Lossky, J. S. Romanians, John D. Zizioulas, Nonna Verna Harrison, Dumitru Staniloae, & Metropolitan Hilarious Alfeyev, to name a few.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent much of the time reading this book with one nagging question in the back of my mind: why? Why is it necessary to try to understand exactly how we can be made up of body/soul (and maybe spirit) but yet still be one person and not two? Why is it necessary to try to understand on such a deep level what God says to us in the Bible? What difference does it make in our lives?

The answers were interesting. Firstly, after reading the entire book, I realized how easy it was for Christians to discard or alter parts of the Bible to fit their own theories. When that happens, then other heresies start popping into their thoughts. Secondly, the chapter on how to defend your argument against secular claims was insightful into how we engage in conversation with those who don't have the same basis for thought. Lastly, affirmation of personal belief is a another reason to read through this primer on the monoism-dualism debate.

Overall, this book provided a good introduction and first steps into the discussion with plenty of references if one desired to dig deeper.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper does a great job at primarily surveying the OT, intertestamental, and NT material on the prevailng thought and views of the body soul debate. He argues for what he calls holistic-dualism, and I believe he does so quite persuasively. While theologians in times past are not free from interjecting their Platonic presuppositions into texts that they saw as obvious dualistic "proof-texts," Cooper takes a fresh look at the Bible as a whole which yields ample evidence to believe that whatever the distinctions and nuances the Ancient Hebrews, Jesus, and Apostles held to some sort of dualism, namely, that the Ego or individual does not cease to exist after death.

Cooper's treatment of the Rephaim was especially helpful. Thus we can still hold to the great creeds of old and confession of the Reformed traditions which assure us that to be absent from the body is to, in some sense, still be present (as our true self and not some recreation of our selflness) with the Lord, as we await the resurrection of the dead, some unto life, some unto death, that is, the second death.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. Cooper is always very judicious and careful in not overstating his conclusions. The basic thrust of the book is this: Scripture advocates functional, not ontological, holism. Given the nature of the intermediate state, Scripture affirms some sort of minimal body-self dualism. Monists have overstated their case for holism and dualists have often wrongly based their case on words like pneuma, nepesh, ruach, etc, all which have a wide range of meaning based on its use.

I highly recommend the book, and think it would be highly accessible to the average lay person.

[Jared Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the most comprehensive study of biblical anthropology that isn't tedious and boring to read. Cooper makes a great case for a holistic (biblical) dualism and will change your understanding of what it means for a soul to be immortal.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parallels drawn to Greek philosophy were diverting but perhaps not all that helpful. Other than that, reasonably argued and moderate but forceful. Not an area that I was all that interested in before reading it, but there were more rewarding avenues of thought than I had expected.

[Jonathan]

None

[Brian Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and very helpful!

[sch]

May not read all of this one.

Quitting after Chapter 1 because I don't quite trust his language (too much imprecision), and at present I'm not interested in a biblical argument (Chapters 2 - 8).

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great study, very interesting & encouraging.

[Dan42guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of interesting. Very technical. I suggest knowing hebrew and greek before you read this.

[Greg Waddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A number of Christian theologians are questioning whether human beings have a soul (or spirit) that survives death. Theologians and philosophers call this belief "anthropological dualism." The church has taught it for millenniums. 

The challenge is coming from both secular and Christian sources. The Christian opponents want to distance themselves from aberrations rooted in the Church's early fascination with Greek philosophy. They also base their objections on the Hebrew conception of life as an integrated system. 

Secular opponents base thier opposition on brain research and the notion that without the physical brain, human beings could not think, feel, or do any of the higher level activities associated with the soul.

Cooper deals with all of these questions in great depth. I love the thoroughness of this book. He first looks at the question from a biblical perspective and concludes that, not only does the Bible allow for the possibility of the soul separating from the body but positively teaches this. He shows why this belief does not have to lead to the aberrations of Platonic dualism. 

He then addresses the challenges emanating from science and philosophy and concludes (rather persuasively I think) that belief in anthropological dualism is not incompatible with anything we know from the field of science or philosophy. 

If you find yourself drawn into this debate, this book is a must read. Or, if you want a more solid grounding in your faith on this issue, I recommend this book. This one's going into my list of most important books for the study of Eschatology.