III. Mansfield’s Micklem-Innate Immortality Is Greek, Not Biblical

We here inject a paragraph from Dr. NATHANIEL MICKLEM, ^{4444) NATFI44 ANIEL MICKLEM (1888-), received his training at Queen’s University Ontario, Canada, and Glasgow. He was principal and professor of dogmatic theology, Mansfield College, oxford (1932-1953). He lectured on comparative religions, and was author of seven volumes} principal of Mansfield College, Oxford. It is another in the far-flung chorus of voices charging that the postulate of Innate Immortality is of Greek origin, and is not Biblical. This concept of natural survival he places over against that of Biblical resurrection. The soul is not in itself immortal. Micklem’s charge and his analysis are both explicit. The significance of life and death is set forth in his The Doctrine of Our Redemption, first published in 1943. Observe his words:CFF2 814.3

“The immortality of the soul is a Greek doctrine; it is not biblical. The Hebrews and the Christians spoke of resurrection. That is the language, not of survival, but of victory. The idea that the human soul is indestructible and therefore immortal may, or may not, be true, but there is little comfort in it. Thoughtless people often surmise that they will survive death and hope that, if they do, they will find existence somewhat less trying beyond the grave. But death means much more than the extinction of physical life; it is bondage to corruption, to sin, to self, to circumstance, to hopelessness; it has a spiritual as well as physical aspect.CFF2 814.4

“We are apt to argue that Christ’s resurrection, if we can believe it, assures us of our own survival. But that is to see in Christ’s resurrection little more than the return of Lazarus from the grave. It is to fall far short of the triumphant conviction of the early church that Christ had won the victory not merely over physical death but also over sin and despair and every kind of spiritual bondage.” ^{4545) Nathaniel Micklem, The Doctrine of Our Redemption (Am. ed., 1948), pp. 78, 79.}CFF2 814.5