Although we sense that our soul is the deepest part of who we are, it is difficult to draw a picture of just what a soul is. Is it the same as the body? Separate from the body? Mortal? Immortal? Because the Bible does not answer all of these questions, various ideas or mental models of the soul have developed in Christian theology.

Creedal Christians affirm "resurrection of the body." The words immortal soul or immortal spirit do not appear in the creeds, despite the observation that many Christians find comfort in such a belief. The fact remains that it was the Easter resurrection of Jesus in the body that provided the Christians who followed with the promise that God will deliver a new creation, complete with our resurrection into that new creation.

Session 1 draws a spectrum of various understandings of the human soul as found within Christian theology and in some cases non-Christian theology and even atheism. The second session asks how the Christian commitment to resurrection can be maintained in light of what we think about the soul. Finally, the Christian idea of trichotomy is discussed--that we human beings are a unity of body, soul, and spirit.

This study is a little more academic than most studies on the Thoughtful Christian. If your group is up for the challenge, however, it is an excellent review of how to understand the human soul.