HEAVEN (THEOLOGY OF)

This article will deal with heaven as (1) the culmination of salvation history and (2) the state of heavenly glory. The second section will be divided into the essential element in the state of heavenly glory and consummated heavenly glory.

Culmination of Salvation History

Heaven is the state of happiness of those who have died in Christ. Although it is often thought of as a place, this is of secondary importance. In 1950, Pius XII, defining the assumption of mary, referred only to her having been "taken up to heavenly glory" without making any express reference to her going to a place. Her Assumption is modeled on the ascension of jesus christ into heaven. We understand heaven as the final state of those who die in Christ by reference to the final state of

Christ Himself, who is the savior and head of His Mystical Body. While this refers first to those who have lived as members of the mystical body of christ, it must not be thought necessarily to exclude those who have preceded Christ in history, or who have never heard the call of Christ explicitly during their lifetime. We think of heaven as the state of happiness that brings full, lasting satisfaction to the whole of our being through our union with the Holy trinity in Christ.

We exist to give God glory and to find our happiness, but we find our happiness only in giving God glory; and it is only in Christ that we can give God glory. Thus the primary purpose of our lives is to give God glory in and through Christ, so to achieve our happiness. Likewise the primary aspect of heaven is that of the members of the totus Christus glorifying God by their participation in Christ's glory. Christ is the final temple, heaven its sanctuary in which God is perfectly adored. The picture in Revelation (ch. 4–5, 7–8) of God's glorification in the adoration of the Lamb describes heaven graphically.

Heaven is the fulfillment of the life of grace begun already on this earth, that life of union with the Blessed Trinity through Christ. It is the fulfillment of God's salvific plan for the whole world; hence heaven exists in the fullest sense only after the parousia of Christ at the end of the world. Together with this will come the resurrection of the dead now in their glorified bodies. (The body that is restored to the damned would hardly be thought of as glorified.) Even the fabric of this world will be restored as a dimension of the final condition.

God's salvific plan is accomplished in two stages: first, in the glorification of Christ, when, having risen from the dead and ascended to heaven, He sits at the right hand of His Father; and, second, when a like glorification has been given to the total community of the redeemed. (Only after Christ had entered heaven in glory was it possible for those who had died before then to pass from the limbo patrum to heaven.) The second stage, the process of transforming the human race into a like glorious state, began at the first pentecost and is continued through the history of the Church until it is finally achieved at the last day, when Christ comes in glory. The heavenly Jerusalem (Rv 21.2) will then manifest the final application of this salvation to humankind: then we human beings, fully glorified in body as well as in soul, shall in Christ share with the angels the beatifying union with the Blessed Trinity. Further theological speculation is difficult since revelation casts no further light on the matter.

State of Heavenly Glory

Theologians teach that the essential element in the state of heavenly glory is the union with the Blessed Trinity in mind and heart (called the intuitive or beatific vision, the beatific love) resulting in the beatific joy; they further teach that other factors round off this bliss, notably the glorification of the body and the enjoyment of the renewed universe and the company of the blessed. Although essential glory is possessed by all who die in the state of grace as soon as their purification is completed, the fullness of glory is theirs only afte Christ's Parousia, when they receive back their bodies in the reconstituted universe. We shall speak first of the essential element of heavenly glory and then of its consummated state after the last day.

Essential Element in Heavenly Glory. Heavenly glory is the destiny for which God intends man. Happiness is what the human person desires. Human happiness can be seen to lie in the possession of heavenly bliss.

Human Happiness. Since the attainment of its final end is the attainment of human happiness, heaven must bring a human person to a state of perfect bliss. Humanity's final end must give satisfaction to the person as a whole; it cannot therefore consist primarily in the satisfaction of our corporeal nature but must rather be concerned with our spiritual nature, which is the nobler aspect of human nature. The material aspect enables a person to find pleasure and comfort in purely material things, but the person is aware interiorly that abiding contentment cannot be dissociated from the nobler aspirations of the spirit. Aesthetic and intellectual experiences give a deeper satisfaction than bodily enjoyments, but we find our most satisfying experience in the friendship and love of others. At the same time we have an urge to realize our potentiality to the full, and we gain deep satisfaction when we do so. We are obscurely aware that our potentiality includes even a union with the supreme good itself—God. Thus the human person may be regarded as having a natural desire for union with God.

Man's Natural Desire for God. Is this desire a desire for union with God as He is in Himself? It seems so, although the Church teaches that such a destiny is supernatural and, as such, beyond human powers to attain (see destiny, supernatural). By its natural powers alone the human person could attain to a merely indirect union with God corresponding to the kind of knowledge of God that natural reason involves. Such a knowledge does not make the person aware of what God is like in Himself; it merely makes one aware that the maker of a universe containing so much that is good, beautiful, and orderly must Himself be supremely perfect and desirable. Such knowledge is knowledge about an unseen God rather than of a God with whom one is in immediate contact. Pius XII taught in humani generis (1950) that we may not hold that God could not create human nature without giving it a supernatural destiny and equipping it for this. Hence man has no right to the supernatural destiny that unites him to God; such a destiny is super -natural, i.e., above the due of human nature, and so is something that God gratuitously gives. However this does not imply that human nature does not have an aptitude for it and even, as many theologians would hold, a positive desire for it even before one has received the graces that equip one for it. Although some theologians assert that man would have been perfectly content with his natural destiny so as never to hanker after the much greater union with God that the supernatural destiny brings, other theologians hold that history shows humans always to have wanted this closest union with God, even though by their natural powers they are unable to attain it. The best solution, perhaps, to this problem is to say that in point of fact no one has had a destiny other than the supernatural one, since humankind has always been intended for the supernatural union with God. This is as true of man after the Fall as it was before it. Hence one should expect humankind always to have evinced a desire for union with God, even though no one was able to implement that desire until the reception of grace [J. P. Kenny, Theological Studies 14 (1953) 280–87; K. Rahner, Theological Investigations 1 (Baltimore 1961) ch. 9]. We conclude that the state of heavenly glory brings utter satisfaction to man's deepest desires so that the human person finds full happiness in the union of immediate contact with the Blessed Trinity (see desire to see god, natural).

Permanence. If this happiness be complete, it follows that it is a happiness that cannot be lost either for a time or permanently; otherwise the mind and heart would not be at rest, fearing its loss; such a condition is incompatible with complete happiness. Thus Scripture (Rv 21.4) says that God wipes away every tear, indicating the absence of anything that can diminish this happiness.

Since this complete happiness is found only in union with God, its permanency involves our permanent avoidance of sin, which would affect that union with God. Theologians differ as to the precise explanation of this impeccability of the blessed.

Teaching. Revelation teaches the existence of heavenly glory, and the Church has always taugght that heavenly glory is the final destiny of all members of the kingdom of god who live as its members should. This teaching naturally grows in precision, but it is hardly ever obscured by denial or doubt. Western theology seems to have shown more speculative interest in heaven than Eastern, but in both there are many references to our enjoying untold bliss, the possession of God, in the same abode as that of the angels. A natural curiosity prompted more questions than could be answered with likelihood, much less certainty; accordingly, profitless speculations as to the whereabouts of heaven and its internal arrangements were made.

The only divergent stream of thought was that of those who taught that Christ would reign on this earth with the good for 1,000 years before the final casting down to hell of satan and the transformation of this world into the new heavens and new earth. This view is known as chiliasm (from the Greek word for a thousand) or millenarianism (from the Latin word); it originated in a misunderstanding of Rv 20.4–5, where the earthly phase of the kingdom of God is referred to. In apocalyptic literature numerals often have a special significance other than their literal one; 1,000 meant "indefinitely large," hence "1,000 years" referred merely to the long period of the Church's existence on earth. This belief, though held by various early Fathers, was always distinguished by them from the official teaching of the Church; furthermore it did not prevent their acceptance of the orthodox belief in heaven as the final state of the blessed.

As the understanding of the nature of heavenly bliss developed there arose doubts in the minds of some Fathers as to whether it is only at the last day that the good enjoy this intimate union with God; even St. Augustine wavered on this point. The general stream of teaching was that heavenly bliss is granted to the disembodied soul immediately after whatever necessary purification follows death. The matter was finally settled when Benedict XII in 1336 defined that we possess the beatific vision as soon as we are worthy to do so after death (H. Denzinger, Enchiridion symbolorum, ed. A. Schönmetzer, 1001–02). This definition was prompted by the private view of his predecessor, John XXII, that we must await the last day for heavenly bliss (see benedictus deus).

In one other matter also was there a deviation from Catholic teaching. Eunomius of Constantinople (a fourth-century Arian) thought that a human person unaided by grace could attain to direct, comprehensive knowledge of God. Hesychasts (see hesychasm), whom Gregory palamas (d. 1359) supported, had an analogous view in that they thought that it was possible by various practices attain to union with God. Both these views, as also those of the beguines and beghards and of Michael Baius, do not adequately safeguard the supernatural character of the beatific union with God (see baius and baianism). In opposing Eunomius a few Fathers (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Gregory of Nyssa) seem to go too far in the opposite direction; not only do they oppose the position of Eunomius, but they seem to hold that even with grace we cannot attain direct knowledge of God, so that our union with God is something less than intuitive vision; most theologians excuse them of objective error, but there are those who do not [see V. de Broglie, De fine ultimo humanae vitae (Paris 1948) 122]. The followers of Palamas actually agree with this second error since they hold that it is not God's essence but the divine radiance with which we are united; however, in Catholic theology, because of God's simplicity the divine radiance cannot be really distinguished from the divine essence.

These aberrations do not obscure the main stream of Catholic teaching which consistently taught that heavenly bliss is both attained immediately after death (or purgatory, as the case might be) and consists in the intuitive vision of God as He is in Himself. Benedict XII's definition is a legitimate conclusion to a steady line of teaching; henceforth the points he defined are a necessary part of the Catholic proposition of Christ's revelation concerning heaven.

Nature of the Beatific Vision. Its basic nature is clear from the above. Clearly, since the beatific union with God occurs before the last day, when the blessed receive back their bodies, the essential part of heavenly bliss does not involve bodily activity; hence neither senses nor imagination are required for it. The beatific vision and love are the activity of the nobler aspect of the human person, namely, the spiritual faculties. Theologians differ as to whether the part played by the intellect or that played by the will is primary, the Thomists favoring the intellect, the Scotists the will; however, the reason why each school follows its view is not so much theological as philosophical: its understanding of human nature. The divergence is of secondary importance since all agree that it is the whole person who receives this glory.

Just as in the earthly phase of the kingdom of heaven man's natural faculties of intellect and will have to be perfected by the supernatural virtues of faith, hope, and charity to make possible the supernatural knowledge and love of God, so too in the heavenly phase of the kingdom of heaven man's faculties will require a similar elevation, only more so. Heavenly bliss is the final consummation of everything that justification on earth leads to; hence an even greater ennoblement and strengthening of the spiritual faculties will be required if a person is to have the closest possible union with the Blessed Trinity. No longer do faith and hope suffice; hope is no longer relevant when the soul is in possession of that for which it hoped; and faith is not so much dispensed with as replaced by the yet higher elevation of the human intellect to perform a still nobler activity. Faith gives true knowledge about God in the form of ideas about the Trinity, but in heavenly glory it is the mystery of the divinity itself, not just ideas concerning God, that is the object of our knowledge. Hence a higher elevation of our intellect than that given by the virtue of faith is necessary; it is the lumen gloriae (light of glory) that brings this about. Hence lumen gloriae is the name given to the permanent ennoblement of our intellect by which we are enabled to be united to the Trinity by intuitive vision. The Council of Vienne in 1312 defined the need for the lumen gloriae (Enchiridion symbolorum 895).

To understand this we must contrast our natural manner of knowing with the way in which we shall know the Trinity in the beatific vision. The normal human method of acquiring knowledge is by forming ideas from the impact that the external world makes on our senses; these sense impressions are the raw material from which our mind abstracts concepts or ideas. Even angels require these ideas, though in their case they are not abstracted from sense impressions (the angels being pure spirits), but are directly infused by God. Hence, short of the beatific vision, both angels and humans can know God only by having ideas about the mystery of the divine. In the beatific vision the divine reality itself replaces these ideas so that God is in direct contact with the human mind. Since the human mind, and angelic intellect likewise, is of itself vastly inferior to such a union, it needs to be elevated by the lumen gloriae in order to be capable of this activity. God accordingly is sometimes termed the species expressa, i.e., the object immediately actuating the mind of the blessed, in the beatific vision.

Object of the Beatific Vision. The Blessed Trinity is clearly the primary object of the beatific vision. As infinite truth God alone is able to satisfy fully the human and angelic intellect which is made for the possession of truth; also, as infinitely desirable God alone is able to satisfy the desires of the human heart or angelic will. Thus God alone is the primary object of our mind and will in heaven. In heaven we know and love God as He is in Himself, i.e., as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in whose divine life we along with all the other blessed fully share. The infinite perfection of the Blessed Trinity and the infinite love which we shall then fully possess provide a never-ending source of satisfaction to our entire selves. Our restless hearts have at last found rest where alone they can, in the Blessed Trinity. If our imagination is unable to envisage how this happiness does not cloy, it is because we envisage it in human terms that are inadequate to express the divine reality. We are better able to appreciate the absence of those factors that destroy happiness because we can picture that absence. Our imagination cannot help us to envisage a situation in which our potentialities are fully realized so that no unfulfilled element remains. The only happiness that cloys is one that is mixed with material pleasure, which of its nature cannot last; the essentially spiritual nature of the beatific joy excludes cloying.

There is also a secondary object of the beatific vision and love. We are united to God as individuals who take their past history, now purged of imperfection and sinfulness, with them. We are always the children of our parents, we retain our affection for our background and contacts. God does not destroy our past but enables it to contribute to our present happiness. Thus, the secondary object of the beatific joy is our continuing knowledge and love of created beings with whom or which we have a relationship by reason of our earthly life.

Consummated Heavenly Glory. In addition to the essential element of heavenly bliss, theologians speak of certain elements that can differ from one person to another and without which heavenly bliss would remain intact. Thus heavenly bliss varies from one person to another: since heaven is the reward for our good activity while on earth, our degree of heavenly bliss will correspond to our degree of union with God at death; this was defined in 1439 by the Council of Florence (Enchiridion symbolorum 1305). Furthermore theologians commonly teach that there is an accidental source of heavenly glory that is given only to some of the blessed, namely to martyrs, virgins, and teachers of the faith. It is called an aureole or special reward that marks the recognition of their special dedication to Christ or His work during their earthly lives.

Other elements additional to essential glory are the company of the other blessed ones, the resurrection of the body, and the renewal of the world. The differing degrees of heavenly glory, the aureoles, and the company of the elect are found in heaven before the last day; the resurrection of the body and the renewal of the world occur only after the last day. From then on the state of the blessed is termed consummated heavenly glory.

Company of the Elect. While union with God is allsufficient to make the blessed entirely happy, nevertheless, because all the blessed show forth the wonderful works of God in Christ, each one takes delight in coming into contact with other blessed ones. This contact includes all the inhabitants of heaven: Our Lady, the angels, the saints. While one must not envisage these contacts in exactly the same way as human contacts, nevertheless the differences of individuals among themselves as well as their differing formation on earth will explain affinities that unite them with certain of the blessed rather than others, while, however, there is full accord of spirit of all with all. This common union of all in spirit with all others is the natural fruit of the common fulfillment of all within the Mystical Body of Christ: since all in Christ live for the glory of the Blessed Trinity, all are united when the purpose of their existence is attained.

It is sometimes felt that the absence from heaven of individuals to whom one was closely attached on earth will necessarily introduce an element of sadness. However in heaven one clearly perceives, as one does not on earth, that there is no happiness except in God and no sadness except in departing from this complete union with Him. Accordingly we do not, and in fact cannot, maintain an attachment that would take us away from this union with God: all our delight in such an attachment melts away so that we feel no sadness at its obliteration.

Resurrection of the Body. The most notable addition to the essential element of heavenly bliss at the last day is the restoration to the elect of their bodies. This is a mysterious truth raising many questions to which no certain answer can be given, but its truth is manifestly contained in the revelation of humanity's final lot. Here too the principle applies that Christ's glorification is the model for ours, although this does not mean that we shall necessarily have all the perfections that Christ's risen body had.

Two preliminary questions are usually asked. First, will there be a sense of incompleteness in the blessed before the last day, knowing as they do that their bliss is not yet rounded off by the possession of their glorified bodies? The answer is given that since they are completely united in will with God, they fully accept this situation as His will and so are incapable of being saddened at waiting for its fulfillment.

The second question is of greater importance: shall we have the same bodies as those we had on earth? The answer is that we shall, since Scripture and the Fathers clearly teach this. A few theologians do not think that this will entail the restoration of the very same matter into which the mortal body disintegrated; they hold that, since the matter that constitutes our bodies is made into our bodies purely by the presence of our soul in it, it is basically the soul as joined to any matter at all that constitutes such matter as our body. Hence, irrespective of what matter is united to the soul at the resurrection, such bodies as result will be our bodies in exactly the same sense as the body in which we died was ours. This question concerns the mechanics of the resurrection.

All glorified bodies shall have splendor, agility, subtlety, and impassibility. While these qualities do indeed glorify the body and make it quite different from its earthly condition, they do not make it cease to be a body: glorification is not dematerialization. Here lies a difficulty to the attempt to penetrate into the nature of the glorified body: while maintaining the reality of the change in our bodies, we must avoid overspiritualizing them. And revelation gives us little help.

Splendor is that quality which they have whereby they appear beautiful to behold; it gives them a supernatural radiance (as shown in the practice of depicting the saints with halos as symbols of their supernatural radiance).

Agility is the property that enables the glorified body to move about without being impeded by the limitations our body imposes on us now; it will probably still have to pass through space to get from one place to another, but an act of will will transfer it with very little lapse of time.

Subtlety has sometimes been identified with the ability to pass through other bodies, as Christ passed through the closed doors of the upper room; this, however, is not certain since many Fathers thought this to be a special miracle of divine power. St. Thomas (Summa theologiae 3a suppl., 83.1) has better reason on his side when he identifies it with the complete subordination of the matter of the body to the soul so that both are perfectly integrated; the body henceforth is the perfect manifestation of the soul, fully contributing to, instead of impeding, its life.

Impassibility removes from the glorified body not only its liability to suffer in the way our bodies do now, but also its need to preserve itself from possible harm and wear from either inside or outside. It is generally taught that, as there is no marrying or giving in marriage in heaven, so too there is no vegetative life, i.e., no need to eat or sleep. This was the teaching of the scholastics, and it seems eminently suited to the conditions of an eternal existence such as that of heaven. However the suggestion has been made that, although we need not, we may eat and drink if we wish to (De Broglie, Appendix 6). (see resurrection of the dead.)

Renewal of the World. This, together with the restoration of the body, constitutes the final completion of God's salvific plan. This is the ultimate glorification of Christ, inasmuch as the place He holds at the center of creation and of history is finally acknowledged by the extension of His saving influence throughout the material universe. Revelation (e.g., 2 Pt 3.13) tells us of the renewal of the universe at the end of time as the completion of God's salvific plan. This is what is referred to by the cosmic significance of Christ's work. This renewed universe contributes to the happiness of the blessed; as it finally rounds off Christ's work, so too it finally rounds off our joy in Christ.

See Also: hell (in the bible); hell (theology of); eschatology, articles on; god, intuition of; created actuation by uncreated act.

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[b. forshaw]