Life after Death According to the Orthodox Tradition

by Jean-Claude Larchet

Life after Death according to the Orthodox Tradition presents the teachings from Orthodox Church tradition. On a few points, these teachings differ significantly from those of the Catholic and Protestant confessions. Some divergences between eastern and western traditions have existed since the fifth century, but have been considerably accentuated since the twelfth century, when the West, to borrow an expression from the historian Jacques Le Goff, ‘invented Purgatory.’ The Latin tradition is, however, in its roots, in perfect agreement with the eastern tradition. Also, although in our references we give the greatest space to the Greek Fathers, we will surely cite convergent or complementary teachings and testimonies of the Latin Fathers and hagiographers of antiquity. We hope in this way to make better known to Orthodox the teachings of their own often scattered about and poorly known tradition, and also to acquaint Catholic or Protestant readers with teachings unknown to them or which long ago ceased being within the compass of their faith, but which nevertheless belong to the rich patrimony of an ancient Christian tradition which, in its origins, is or should be common to all.

Genres: Christianity, Religion, Theology, Spirituality

348 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2001

About the author

Jean-Claude Larchet, né le 9 août 1949 à Badonviller (Meurthe-et-Moselle), est un patrologue et théologien orthodoxe français.

Auteur de nombreux ouvrages publiés aux éditions du Cerf et traduits dans dix-neuf langues, il est notamment spécialiste de Maxime le Confesseur.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a small shelf of Orthodox books on life after death; I think this superb synthesis by Jean-Claude Larchet is the best of the lot by a good margin. Larchet applies his usual sober judgment and vast scholarship to produce a powerful summary of the Fathers' teaching on death, the progress of the soul after death, its fate in the time before the Last Judgment, and finally what the Church has to say about the Last Judgment itself. He concludes with a sobering chapter entitled "Preparing Oneself for Death and the Life Beyond."

Not surprisingly, a lot of space is given to the "Toll House" teaching, its support and its detractors. This is necessary because a small gaggle of Orthodox writers have kept a debate going about the topic for several decades. Larchet simply presents the massive body of Patristic evidence for the teaching, then presents some helpful comments to put it in perspective.

I had one quibble with this magnificent book. It seems that somewhere in the home stretch, the proofreader went out for coffee: the final chapters are full of typos.

This is a powerful, sobering book. I think any reader who wants to know what the Church has taught about life and death through the ages will come away informed and edified. I'll close with a striking quote from Abba Isaiah from Larchet's closing chapter:

Think to yourself daily, I have only this day to do something in this world, and you will not sin before God.