How can we best respond to the current fascination in reincarnation?
It would help to present the doctrine of purgatory in a pastoral way, as the maturation of the Christian so as to be able to behold God’s glory through an experience of ‘”purifying pains”. Since the doctrine was developed in the West in discussion with the East, it would be useful to have a look at Orthodox eschatology, and not only on such aspects as deification, glory and unending progress. Some archaic elements contained in it, due in part to the fact that the last ecumenical council recognised by the Eastern Orthodox (=Chalcedonians) is that of Nicaea II (787), may reflect primitive Christianity more closely. Other elements are found among the Oriental Orthodox (=the pre-Chalcedonians) and the Assyrian Church of the East. Thus, Orthodox eschatology can help provide some of the missing links to better understand what the Catholic Church wanted to express by her doctrine of purgatory. One factor that encourages the idea of reincarnation is to negative attitudes towards the body. Agai
