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Hylemorphism, rigid designators, and the disembodied ‘Jesus’: a call for clarification

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2019

JAMES T. TURNER JR. Open the ORCID record for JAMES T. TURNER JR. [Opens in a new window]
JAMES T. TURNER JR.*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, College of Christian Studies, Anderson University, 316 Boulevard, Anderson, South Carolina, 29621, USA
*
e-mail: jturner@andersonuniversity.edu
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Abstract

Many in the Christian tradition affirm two things: (1) that Jesus Christ descended to Hades/Limbus Patrum on Holy Saturday and (2) that the human nature of Jesus is a hylemorphic compound, the unity of a human soul and prime matter. I argue that (1) and (2) are incompatible; for the name ‘Jesus’, ‘Christ’, and ‘Jesus Christ’ rigidly designates a human being. But, given a certain view of hylemorphism, the human being, Jesus, ceased to exist in the time between his death and resurrection. So, Jesus did not descend to Hades/Limbus Patrum, even if God the Son did.

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Type
Original Article
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Religious Studies , Volume 57 , Issue 2 , June 2021 , pp. 193 - 208
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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