How did the afterlife concept in western christianity begin to fade away?
Religion evolves just like its essence matures. Christianity is based on a monotheist God-Father giving all his love. But, there is a process of maturing under which the Loved Child matures into becoming One with God Creator. This is the evolving-transcending of Dualism, of Rationality. Religion ultimately transcends into its negation. Much has been said about the institutionalization of churches. Certain churches are rather political weapons of manipulation for selfish interests, but they are places where people seek guidance, which ultimately is the reason they exist. Same thing happened with Greek Pantheism, or like with any other Pantheist religion. Born from animism and its spirits, at first the Goddesses of Nature and Earth appear as most important, later to be replaced by male Gods of thunder, war, sun, etc. They transcend shape from rock to human. The belief in afterlife… is more like a spontaneous metaphoric language of Spirituality than the rational interpretation of belief
