Recently, I went through the pages of a Spiritist romance, those in which the dramas are anchored in different periods: the past, a detailed description of lives, full of beauty, wealth and power; and the present, in the opposite situation, with the characters embittering setbacks over and over. These novels certainly contribute in spreading the reincarnation idea, but often induce mistaken beliefs, strengthening the notion that God uses it as a punitive and corrective instrument. Although there are historical and philosophical studies and research reports about reincarnation, I could not help but think on the need to address it, for example, within a social-psychological perspective. It is this vision that will be considered in this article.

How do we define reincarnation? Making it simple, but without forgetting Kardec,1 we can say that reincarnation assumes a mechanism of successive existences of the Spirit, over the centuries, until it reaches a spiritual condition when there is no need for its return, except if in a voluntary mission. The notion of reincarnation is quite old in various cultures. For example, we find it in the Vedas, Hinduism, Judaism, between the Egyptians and in many Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato2 and, more recently, in research reports. 3 

The premises of the reincarnation idea

The idea of reincarnation is based on two premises: (a) the soul is immortal and (b) the soul progresses continuously. In Christianity, the notion of a single life is also based on immortality; however, the personal evolutionary condition is already determined since birth and it is forever. Both dogmas, reincarnation and the oneness of existence, explain the ultimate destination of the Spirit, or soul. In the first case, it is a continuous progress, with different experiences and acquisitions. In the second case, the soul can be intended for the Beatitudes (Heaven), for a relative situation of suffering (Purgatory) and for eternal punishment (Hell). Why does Christianity adopt the doctrine of one single life? What are the underlying concepts to these doctrines? Following, is the discussion of these issues.

Parte superior do formulário

We begin by thinking about the dissemination of these doctrines through time. If the idea of reincarnation was already present in the world, many centuries before the Christian movement appeared, and was maintained in some cultures, it is logical to think that, in a certain way, it is part of the understanding of the world by the thinkers of the newborn Church. Let us remember that Christianity was born in the Jewish culture, whose population, in general, had a vague notion of reincarnation. This did not happen, however, within the sphere of the rabbinate, 4 with few exceptions.

Judaism before the external influence

Moreover, Judaism has never been a truly closed system, and on several historical moments, it was quite permeable to the influence of other cultures. Even during the flight from Egypt, which should have apparently strengthened the Jewish culture, there was a constant concern of leaders regarding religious "deviations" by the people. And this took place just a few hours before Moses appeared with the "Stones of Law" (see Exodus 32: 4-9). The same happened during the domination period in Babylon, from where the Jews brought the code of law of reciprocity between crime and punishment ("an eye for an eye..."). A similar fact was repeated during the Roman occupation, when the Council acts with tolerance to death by crucifixion. Considering, however, that the leaders of the Path struggled to maintain a friendly relationship with the authorities of the country, one might think that, for a while, the early Christianity lived with two doctrinal alternatives - the one of a sole life and the other of multiple lives, reproducing, in a way, the Jewish culture.

Either one could have prevailed? It is assumed that, for a while, the reincarnation doctrine was accepted and that the Empress Theodora influenced the Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) to eliminate this belief from the Church. However, the story does not happen by accident or individual whim, without an underlying ideology to support it. 

Justinian and the deification of Jesus

In this sense, this assumption about the influence of the Empress may be only part of the truth. On the one hand, Teodora5 was driven by the obsessive ambition that Justinian should expand their dominion over the entire eastern Mediterranean. That was her main concern. On the other hand, the Emperor was very much interested in theological matters, and this did not apply to Theodora. Historically, Justinian was the main articulator of the deification of Jesus by the Church. In addition, the notion of a single life would favor the power of the clergy over the believers, and consequently, increase the inflow of funds. In Justine’s view, such a strategy would increase his control over the Church property, facilitating the use of nest egg for the conquest campaigns. His motto "A State, a Law, a Church" is the synthesis of this view and explains his commitment to the convening of councils and theological precepts. Therefore, the concept of reincarnation was excluded, less by the will of Theodora and more as a political strategy. Justinian died in the year 565 (AD) and even with the Empire in decadence, the Church continued to increase its wealth and power.

The spiritual perspective on the world is older than the materialistic one. Although atheists existed from the time before Jesus, the materialist philosophical ideas gained prominence with the pre-Socratic philosophers such as Democritus, Leucippus and Epicurus. However, materialism, as a philosophical school, gained followers and status from the sixteenth century onwards, with Leibniz.6 

Is the Kingdom of God within each one of us?

There is no doubt that by the early Middle Ages, it was easier to accept the notion of God and the immortality of the soul than an opposing materialist view. And the reason was that, on the one hand, there was a difficulty of understanding the processes of birth and death, and secondly, because the laws governing the Universe were unintelligible, even for the vast majority of thinkers. Moreover, under these beliefs temples and priestly organizations flourished and their power went beyond the scope of religiosity. Intimacy with the Creator, who granted the priests the power of decision about who should be saved, strengthened the religious power and created a culture of fear and submission. The idea of Jesus that the Kingdom of God is within each one and that this idea could be disseminated within the world, and not elsewhere, was reinterpreted in the light of a future trial. The favorable outcome in this trial depended on the loyalty to the dogma and clerical mediation, which required little effort from everyone, believers and priests. Reincarnation, as a process, no longer had the minimum condition to be accepted and the doctrine of one only life was, therefore, consolidated in accordance with the notion of a “Savior” Jesus. As if endorsing this position, the doctrine was spread accepting the mediation of the Saints, or of Mary, dubiously raised to the position of God himself.

Salvationism versus evolutionism

It can be inferred, therefore, that the doctrines of one sole existence and of the plurality of existences are based on two different cultural paradigms. The first, older, may be called Salvationism. The second, which opposes to the Salvationist concept, can be called Evolutionism. Cultural paradigms are sets of ideas and rules governing beliefs, values, feelings and behaviors. A paradigm only declines when another one responds more adequately to the doubts and present issues. Throughout his journey on the Planet, man created myths and beliefs that somehow explained him about Universe, calmed his doubts about understanding difficult problems and softened his fears and anxieties. 

Various human emotions are put into action with the purpose of survival and evolution. However, fear is related to human preservation, and this is the base element of the Salvationist paradigm, where fear is made stronger and the pursuit of own safety prevails, by means of the protection of a higher power. To abdicate from the power of thinking and of making decisions, favors the practice of submission and flattery regarding the stronger. The history of the human saga shows that the leader, to get stronger, encourages adulation to him and to idols, which end up by representing him. Some early idols were designed as bizarre figures that caused unconscious fears, but once bribed by rituals, they would become man’s protectors. Ultimately, this was a power with which man could count against the unknown destructive forces. 

With Salvationism the power of the clergy increased

Seduction and flattery remain today, and also our modern man strives to entice his gods or those who represent them, for example, money, beauty, strength ... This game is no longer restricted to the field of religion: it applies in general to the media figures, politics, business and weapons. And it will continue as long as the Salvationist paradigm prevails in our religious culture. With Salvationism, the power of the clergy over the consciences increased considerably. Hence, the ban on contacting the spiritual world was a calculated and necessary action to avoid questioning the priests’ authority. Besides, the acceptance of communication with the dead could question some of the dogmas established by the theologians, for example, the one of eternal punishment.

About the year 300 (AD) the clergy was already well organized, and the bishops strengthened their power in the Church hierarchy. Consequently, the use of princely privileges by the bishops was accepted almost without opposition. The inner subservience of the friars and priests and the conspiracies and alliances of the clergy in general, with kings and emperors became a common practice. Therefore, acceptance of the doctrine of a single existence, and the consequent rejection of the concept of reincarnation, was not due to the whim of an empress, nor was it the result of a philosophical-theological option, but rather a political strategy, strengthening the established order and power. Already in the fourth century, besides the introduction of the dogma of the original sin, the Roman Empire converted to Catholicism. It was therefore established the supremacy of a Church, a Catholic one, over the others and its complicity with the temporal power.7

The Evolutionary paradigm causes fear

The doctrine of a single existence, even though it leaves the notion of a Creator in a delicate situation – since it is indefensible in terms of logic on some of its attributes -, it favors, and very much, the power of the clergy. By linking the future of the soul to its control, the Church has developed two actions that complement each other: the strengthening of its authority and the purchase/sale of salvation. It is unlikely that this could have happened if the plurality of lives had been accepted, as can be seen, for example, in Buddhism. Within the evolutionary perspective, Jesus would be accepted as an evolved model with an educational mission in relation to Humankind. This mission was granted Him by God, his Father and our Father.

To have someone, who helps man in his evolutionary walk, is very different from having a Savior. The evolutionary paradigm causes a difficult freedom to be accepted, since it requires another way of looking at life. It causes fear because man sees himself responsible for his present and future fate. When, within the process, the individual begins to understand that he should be assessed and overcome his present spiritual condition, his fear may increase to the point of generating conflict between both positions. However, there is a stage of development, in which he can no longer return to the good times of the belief in a Savior. In this case, he must also face his fears and needs to understand that this is a solitary experience, but around him, he can count on the solidarity of many Spirits (in both plans) that live or have lived similar condition and await an opportunity to help him.

[1]   Kardec, Allan. The Book of Spirits. IDE: Araras (SP), 2002.

[2]   Wikipedia. Access on June 7, 2015.

[3]   See Stevenson, I. Twenty suggestive cases of reincarnation. Publisher: Vida & Consciência. Sao Paulo

[4]   DovBer Pinson. Reincarnation and Judaism. Sao Paulo (SP): Maayanoti, 2015.

[5]   Wikipedia. Access on June 21, 2015

[6]   Wikipedia. Access on June 28, 2015.

[7]   Emmanuel, Francisco Candido Xavier(1939). The Path of Light. Brasilia (DF): FEB.