The picture on this post is from Dante's Inferno. It captures well how Purgatory was viewed in his day, as well as how many Protestants still understand the doctrine. When we here the word "purgatory", most of us Protestants think of an actual place that is meant to be a state of limbo between heaven and hell, in which people have to undergo further purification from their sin, which often includes suffering. This was indeed the idea in the Middle Ages, and also during the time of the Reformation (more on this later). But did you know that this is not how the concept started off, nor is it how it is viewed today by most who hold to a belief in Purgatory (even if they don't call it that)?
For this last topic in the "Afterlife" section of The Psychic and The Supernatural, I am going to do two post on Purgatory. This first post will be a history of the development of the teaching from the early church to the present. In the next post, I will examine the so called Biblical evidence of the concept of Purgatory (noticed I said "concept", since the word itself is not mentioned in either Scripture of the Apocrypha), and examine some theological concepts and categories that need to be discussed.
The Roots of Purgatory
The concept of Purgatory is actually birthed from another belief/practice, namely, prayers for the dead. The idea of praying for the dead is found in other religious traditions, including Judaism (more on this in the next post). The idea is that if the dead need our prayers, then there must be a state in which they exists that they have not reached full sanctification yet. Over the centuries, this concept developed into what we call Purgatory. It also must be noted that praying for the dead was an early church practice that was very common, and continued in both the Orthodox East and Catholic West after the Great Schism. One of the earliest examples of praying for the dead is found in the 2nd century AD by the tomb inscription of Bishop Abercius.
The Early Church Fathers and Purification After Death
Many of the Church Fathers held to a concept of purification by fire after death. This purification was not punishment, but rather it was sanctifying- to prepare us to be in the presence of Christ. Irenaeus (c. 130-202) mentions a place where the souls of the dead are kept until the Day of Judgment. Following him, both Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215) and Origen (c. 185-254) are the ones who really emphasized a purification after death. Origen specifically argued that the souls of the elect immediately entered the presence of God upon death, unless not totally purified. If they need more purification, they would be baptized in a "spiritual fire" that would cleanse them. The Latin Father, Tertullian (c. 160-225), also held to a form of purification after death. He believed that only martyrs went straight to heaven after death. The rest of the dead where sent to a generic holding place, where the wicked suffered and the righteous experienced various stages of and places of bliss. Others such as Cyprian, John Chrysostom, and Augustine both attested to this belief and developed the idea further. Augustine seemed to be the one who would really lay the framework for what would later be developed into a full-fledged doctrine of Purgatory, In Augustine we see the concepts of praying for the dead, Eucharist for the dead, good works for the dead, and alms for the dead.
Early Middle Ages
During this period, Gregory the Great would also be a major proponent of the doctrine. In the 6th century, he wrote what is called the Dialogues. In it he argues that for Christians who have "lesser faults", there is a purifying fire that they must go through prior to the Day of Judgment. It is also during this period that people like Bede, Boniface, and Fursa claimed to have visions of Purgatory.
High Middle Ages
It was during this time that the East-West Schism happened (1054), and the church of the day was divided into Orthodox East and Catholic West. In the West, the doctrine of Purgatory and purification by fire would continue to develop even more. By the time the 12th century rolls around, the Latin word "purgatorium" is officially being used to refer to the process/state of purification in the intermediate state. Pope Innocent IV was actually the first to use this term, and it wasn't until 1254.
It is also during this time that a major shift in thinking happens in regards to the doctrine of Purgatory. Up until this time, "purgatory" was thought of as simply a state or a process in which one had to pass through in order to complete the sanctification process so that they could be totally fit for heaven. Such concepts were not an affront to the atonement. Many who supported the concept of a "purifying fire" believed that though Christians were forgiven of their sins, their sanctification was not complete in this life. In order for their sanctification to be complete, they had to pass through this purifying fire (although Augustine might be the exception to this). Then they would be fit for the full presence of God in heaven.
Yet sometime between 1170-1200 AD, Purgatory moves from being a state or process that one goes through, to being an actual place that one goes to upon death. Though vestiges of this concept of Purgatory as a place might could be drawn from the writings of Augustine and Gregory the Great, it wasn't until this time period that the shift took place. One of the great contributors to this is Thomas Aquinas. It is in his writings that we see what we would know as the "classic" form of the doctrine of Purgatory. For Aquinas, Purgatory was the place a Christian would go in order to be purified from any unforgiven guilt or venial sins. This purification would include punishment and pain on behalf of those sins. His concept of Purgatory would influence the First Council of Lyons in 1254, which pretty much adopted this same idea.
Late Middle Ages
It is during this time period that Purgatory became a primary doctrinal focus. It is also during this period that the concept of indulgences and other practices on behalf of the dead became paramount. An indulgence is a remission before God, through the Church, of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. They can be purchased for oneself or some else who has already died. By the time Dante rolls around, Purgatory is presented as a mountain (see pic below). Such was the view during the Protestant Reformation. The idea of indulgences merited strong rebukes from the Reformers. John Calvin vehemently opposed both indulgences and the idea of Purgatory. Martin Luther, though rejecting the idea of indulgences, did not part ways with the doctrine of Purgatory until much later (1535).
While most Eastern Orthodox churches reject the Catholic concept of Purgatory, some do hold to some sort of purification after death (like the Church Fathers). For them, it is more of a continual growth in the knowledge of God, and does not include any pain or suffering. Most Protestants reject any form of Purgatory of purification after death, though John Wesley stated that he thought believers who went to Abraham's' Bosom would continue to grow in holiness and knowledge of God (much like the E.O. position). But what about the Catholic Church? What do they presently teach about Purgatory?
In 1999 Pope John Paul II refereed to Purgatory as "condition of existence", which means that it is most likely not a physical place. The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, first published in 2005, affirms that Purgatory is a state rather than a place. Therefore, it seems that the Catholic Church has tried to distance itself from the concept of Purgatory that was popular during the late Middle Ages and Protestant Reformation.
In closing out this post, we have seen that there is much more to the doctrine of Purgatory than meets the eye. If you are reading this, and you are a Protestant (which most of my readers are), than I offer this humble word of advice: If we are going to engage in any effective dialogue about Purgatory, it is essential that we get out of the Late Middle Ages. Hardly anyone believes that anymore. We need to update our view of Purgatory by understanding the exact things that I have presented in this article. If we are going to debate this doctrine, the areas of debate lean more towards prayers for the dead, what happens in the intermediate state, and are we continuing to be sanctified in the intermediate state. Worth discussing also is the fact that if someone does hold to some sort of punitive suffering in Purgatory, the question we need to press them with is "why isn't Christ's suffering enough?" We will deal with these questions and more in the next post. My goal for this post was to simply help Protestants see that the doctrine of Purgatory is more than what we are told that it is among our little circles. I hope this post was beneficial for you, and that it opened your eyes to some things you might not have known before.