Did You Know?
- Costa Calida Chronicle
- Dec 1, 2025
- 5 min read
The origins of the Immortal Soul Concept (Part 2)
Did you know that the immortal soul concept is found in many mainstream religions? This month I will take a further look at some of these religions in more detail. This will help to show how and when this concept filtered into Christianity. As stated from last month, this concept is not in Scriptures.
Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautams, born in the 5th century. He became known as the Buddha, which means awakened one. The Emperor of India made Buddhism the state religion of the country. Buddha taught that there was an immortal cycle of life. Before Buddhism went to Japan, Shinto involved rituals and customs which focused on departed souls. Ancestor worship and the immortal soul is prominent in this religion.
Taoism is a Chinese philosophy and religion, founded by Lao Tzu, a philosopher. This grew out of rural folk beliefs and became their main religion.This religion revolves around ritual worship. Their philosophy “Tao as a natural order refers to the continuous reversion of everything to its starting point”. They believed that life and death are a continuous transformation, immortal soul. The natural world impacted their philosophy including the concept of the immortal soul. They believed when one died they travelled to another place and continued to live. Immortality was real for their dead ancestors who lived in another dimension. Following the way of nature, granted immunity to death, thus achieving immortality.
Hinduism believes in immortality of the soul and reincarnation. Has its origins in the Indus valley, along the Indus and Ganges rivers. They recognised the soul was different or distinct from the body. Their major belief centred on ancestor worship, with offerings for the dead. Around the 6th century they merged their ancestor worship with the concept of soul transmigration. This then led to the development and acceptance of the doctrine of reincarnation.
Confucianism believes in ancestor worship. Confucius upheld and emphasised the importance of ancestor worship as it relates to the observing of rituals or rites for those who had died.
Jainism emerged around the same time as Buddism. Jainism was introduced by Mahavira, who believed that all living beings had eternal souls. It was accepted and taught that “Liberation from the bondage from karma and the cycle of rebirth is achievable through extreme self discipline and non violence”.
Sikhism has a mixture of hindu and islamic beliefs. A Guru named Nanak in the 16th century founded Sikhism by combining different aspects of both Hinduism and Islam. He adopted the immortality of the soul, reincarnation and karma. These unique combinations helped to form this new religion.
Early Christianity was influenced and corrupted by Greek philosophies. Immortality of the soul spread through the Roman world. It became so deeply ingrained in many religious traditions from its roots taken from Egypt, Persia and especially Babylon.
Plato, the Greek philosopher taught that the “body and the immortal soul separates at death”. Yet this terminology is nowhere to be found in Scriptures. Note the following quote “The belief that the soul continues in existence after the dissolution of the body is...speculation...nowhere expressly taught in Scripture...The belief in the immortality of the soul came to the Jews from contact with Greek thought and chiefly through the philosophy of Plato, its principal exponant, who was led to it through Orphic and Eleusinian mysteries in which Babylonian and Egyptian views were strangely blended”. (Jewish encyclopedia, 1941, vol.6, “Immortality of the Soul”, page 564, 566)
The Evangelical dictionary of theology details that Origen, an early and influential Catholic theologian was influenced by Greek thinkers. Here is a quote “Speculation about the soul, in the subapostolic church was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. This is seen in Origens acceptance of Plato’s doctrine of the pre-existence of the soul as pure mind originally, which by reason of its fall from God, cooled down to soul when it lost its participation in the divine fire by looking earthward”. (1992, “Soul”, Page 1037)
Professor Jeffrey Russell, historian of religious studies states “The unbiblical idea of immortality did not die, but flourished, because theologians...admired Greek philosophy and found support there for the notion of immortal soul” (History of Heaven, 1997, Page 79)
The Interpreters dictionary of the bible, in its article in death says “Departure of the soul must be viewed as a figure of speech, for it does not continue to exist independently of the body, but dies with it...No biblical text authorises the statement that the soul is separated from the body at the moment of death” (1962, vol 1, Page 802, “Death”)
The concept has been adopted throughout many cultures and slowly crept into Christianity. By 200 AD there was a great controversy over the immortality of the soul doctrine within the church. This shows a departure from the Scriptural teachings on death and the soul.
The concept of the immortal soul did not exist before the Babylonion captivity of Judah. The concept was accepted and adopted as a result of mingling and interacting with Persian and (Hellenistic) Greek philosophies. According to Hebrew understanding the soul relates to the living being. This is referenced in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7 which states “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul”. The word for soul in Hebrew is Nephesh, which refers to living, breathing conscious body.
The Scriptural concept of the soul is a living, breathing being, which is mortal. Ezekiel chapter 18 and verse 4 says “Behold, all souls are mine, as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sinneth, it shall die”. According to the Scriptures, the dead are unconscious. Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verses 5 and 6 describes “For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished, neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun”.
In the book of John chapter 3 and verses 12 and 13 Yeshua (Jesus) explains “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is in heaven”. Matthew chapter 22 and verse 37 describes “Jesus said unto them, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”. Also, Acts chapter 2 and verses 42 and 43 it notes “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship... And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles”.
Choose today whom you shall serve.
I hope you have learned more about the Scriptures. Next month I will look at “Trust”.
If you would like to know more, contact Sandra 602 466 534
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