Is Man the Phoenix? A Study of Immortality

I man the phoenix? Can he, like the mythical bird which is said to rise from its ashes, look forward to some kind of existence after death? One of the foundational doctrines of the Christian church, as stated in the Apostle' Creed, personal immortality has been questioned by mankind throughout the ages and is a subject of much discussion in contemporary Western culture. Bruce Reichenbach has chosen a philosophical approach to the issue, in order to answer two basic What must be the nature of a human being for there to exist the possibility of immortality? And what reasons are there for believing that human beings are immortal? These two questions form the basis of Reichenbach's discussion. After a preliminary consideration of the nature of immortality, Professor Reichenbach interacts with the two alternative views of man-monism and dualism. He then considers the various philosophical arguments for immortality which date back to Plato, Augustine, and Kant, and he evaluates St. Paul's theological argument for immortality. Establishing immortality, he concludes, depends on accepting divine revelation.