Is there Life after Death?

Unitarian beliefs about immortality have evolved considerably over the centuries. Pre-20th century Unitarians believed in life after death with some certainty. But during the last century, things have changed.

In the original version of Beliefs of a Unitarian, British Unitarian Alfred Hall stated that “Unitarians believe in the survival of human personality after death.” But by the time the third edition was published, in 1962, three years after his death, the editors added the following rider: “but now it must be said that Unitarians are far from unanimous in their views about life after death.” They summarise current (early 1960s) attitudes as follows: firstly, the general belief that “it is more important to concentrate on living the good life on earth than in speculating about the hereafter.” A variety of views are mentioned: “Some believe that life hereafter is conditional upon our using rightly the opportunities for spiritual development … in this life. Some believe that … our souls are not completed in this short phase of existence, and that future life or lives … will continue and complete the ‘making’ of the soul. Some believe that the souls of men will ultimately be absorbed into the infinite being of God. Some Unitarians … believe that human life is limited by the duration of the human body.” But the authors state that many Unitarians would still agree with Alfred Hall, “that there are rational grounds for believing in the survival of human personality.”

In his 1977 book On Being A Unitarian, Canadian Unitarian minister Philip Hewett summarises four Unitarian views on immortality. Firstly, those who believe in personal continuity – the immortality of the soul. But not in the traditional views of heaven and hell. Secondly, those who believe in reincarnation – a succession of re-births. There is an element of continuity here, but what part of us continues? Thirdly, that death is the end of everything, and that nothing continues on. Fourthly, the death of the individual but survival as part of a larger whole. The analogy here is of a raindrop falling into the sea and becoming part of the ocean. 

Bringing us right up to date, Cliff Reed has a section on life after death in Unitarian? What’s that? He states that while some believe in personal survival after death, most are less categorical, not wishing to be specific about how, where or in what form.

All views on immortality have to be conjectural. Some are congenial, some touch us, some don’t. The thing that emerges clearly is the desire for an afterlife; longings for immortality. My own view is summed up by the Quaker Geoffrey Hubbard: “The concept of the indwelling spirit of God must incline us to see resurrection as symbolising the death of the ego-self and the rebirth in awareness of God which can happen to us in this life. It also inclines us to accept death as breaking the link between the physical body and the divine light within us, letting that of God which is in us return back to complete unity and absorption with the totality of God.”   

A bit like Philip Hewett’s raindrop in the ocean. Hubbard also argues that  thinking about immortality relates back to our present life, and it is how we live this present life that is important.

Nevertheless, most present-day Unitarians hold some views on the question. Perhaps partly because of the old adage that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. In other words, death is something that happens to all of us in due course, and it is only human nature to speculate what (if anything) happens afterwards. So much has been written in the Bible and other sacred texts about the immortal soul, that it is something we have grown up with, and perhaps accepted without thinking too much about it (that we each have one, I mean). Personally, I believe that human beings are divided into mind, body and spirit (or soul or heart). The part of us that feels and emotes and loves is not our mind and not our body; it is something other. That is what I mean by the divine spark in everyone. And it is this divine spark that “goes on” after death. 

As we have seen earlier, some Unitarians do not believe in an afterlife of any kind, believing instead that death is the end of everything. But I would guess that a majority believe in life after death in some form or another; whether it is the reuniting of the divine spark or soul or spirit with the divinity of God, or reincarnation of some kind, or simply the fact that the person “lives on” in the memories and lives of others.

I think another reason why many Unitarians are attracted to the idea of some kind of life after death is that it can be a great comfort at a time of bereavement. If you can believe that the late beloved has survived in some form, and that you might perhaps be reunited with them after death, that must be a comfort. Also, when an individual is approaching death themselves, the belief in some kind of afterlife might enable them to accept death more easily, perhaps seeing it as the next great adventure, rather than desperately clinging to this life in terror of what is to come or in fear of annihilation.

Another factor may be that life after death is one of the few things that we cannot approach using our beloved Unitarian tenet of reason. It is a mystery; perhaps the ultimate mystery. A late Unitarian friend whose word and rationality I trust had a near-death-experience, and described it in some detail. I have no reason to disbelieve him. But it is a mystery – we cannot know the answer until we are dead. So perhaps the widespread belief among Unitarians in some kind of life after death is just a matter of hedging your bets: you cannot know the answer, but it might be foolish to reject the idea completely, in case it’s true. But in any case, I think most Unitarians would believe that it is what we do in this world that matters, in the here and now.