In this series we previously mentioned the first 3 of the early Church Councils: the Jerusalem Council, the Nicean Council and the Council of Constantinople. Before we continue with others that followed, we will take an opportunity to respond to recent questions from readers about whether early Christians believed in reincarnation and if it was ever included in the theology of the Roman Church.

To begin, here’s a brief history according to Mary Ellen. It’s clear that controversy seemed to begin almost immediately after the crucifi xion. The f rst leaders were, of course, made up of those who actually knew and followed Jesus. But it wouldn’t be too many years before other teachers who never knew Jesus would come along and teach their interpretation of his message. All of this would still be under the broad umbrella of what might be called the early church. Many years later this would lead to the attempt in Church Councils to narrow all those interpretations down to what would be voted upon as acceptable and then get rid of those who didn’t fi t within the established teachings by labeling them as heretics and anathema.

In the first centuries of Christianity there were several groups and teachings that we might refer to as Christian Gnostics. Apparently this was the dominant form of Christianity for many years, even though several of their beliefs were from the pre-Christian Gnostic teachings. An almost universal teaching of the Gnostic schools was the preexistence of the soul before physical birth and the continuation of the soul after the death of the physical body. The term reincarnation may not have been used but perhaps it would fi t that teaching. The resurrection of corpses at some future time was not part of the Christian Gnostic teachings.

Prior to the emperor Constantine’s declaration about Christianity being the religion of the state, apparently there were no political persecutions for the beliefs about the preexistence and continuation of the soul or the future resurrection of corpses. But once the Church gained political control within the Roman Empire, it was declared that any who didn’t believe or teach the Last Day resurrection of corpses would be considered heretics and anathema.

The opposing beliefs of Christian Gnostics were considered heresy, they were anathematized and excommunicated. In case the reader isn’t aware, not accepting the Church’s theology was not taken lightly and it often led to persecution and death. Excommunication not only affected the individual but the property which would have gone to their heirs was often confi scated by the Church.

The Nicean Council, summoned by the Emperor Constantine, dealt with various things but the main thing was the Arian controversy which involved the Church’s opposition to the teaching of the pre-existence and continuance of the soul as well as the soul’s oneness with God. Arian, a priest from Alexandria had raised the question; if the Father is the parent of the Son, then doesn’t that mean the Son had a beginning? (I know, it sounds like the debate about how many angels can dance on the head of the pin.) But the doctrine that evolved out of that Council wasn’t just about the nature Jesus and the rest of humanity and how humanity is saved, it also basically ruled out what today would be called reincarnation.

Clearly, the teachings of Arian or Arianism didn’t just disappear from Christianity after the Nicean Council. I say that because the next Council which was called by Emperor Theodosius I at Constantinople, had as its purpose, among other things, to completely eradicate Arianism!

Another prominent teacher was Origen of Alexandria who was considered by some to be one of the greatest teachers ever within Christianity. He taught the pre-existence of the soul and that all beings fi rst existed as ideas of God before they became material or physical. His teaching concerning the soul’s experience in a body as being just one of many in its journey sounds a lot like the teaching of reincarnation. According to Origen, after the physical body dies, it simply returns to dust. He did not teach the resurrection of the physical body but instead taught that on a soul level there was a type of resurrection or reconciliation that took place. His teachings incorporated the thought that everyone came from God and was returning to God by way of the cycle of birth and death. He also taught that Jesus came to show what everyone can become.

Origen’s teachings were controversial, to say the least. Many high ranking individuals within the Roman Church concluded that if Origen’s teachings were allowed to continue then people might begin to think that they no longer needed to obey the Church, or that they might no longer need the authority of an emperor. Maybe it was those same high ranking individuals who managed to present this to Emperor Justinian, who then felt this was possibly a threat to his position. So he did the next logical thing he knew to do. He instructed the next Council to condemn the teachings as anathema.

Was reincarnation a part of the teachings of early Christians? There is a very good chance it was and, for that matter, it still is accepted by many Christians.

Was reincarnation a part of the theology of the Roman Church? Here’s what the Catholic Encyclopedia states, in regard to the Fifth Ecumenical Council of the year 553, “anyone asserting the belief in the preexistence of souls would be anathema.” (Anathema means cursed, damned, excommunicated by the Church).

by Mary Ellen Swartz