Abstract

The central focus for Christians has been on the death of Jesus Christ; it is his dying, death, and resurrection that has shaped what Christians have believed, taught, and hoped. Some implications and limits of this model for death include that it is difficult to consider death a neutral, “natural” event, given that the Christian focus has been on the violence, destruction, and link to sin involved in Jesus’ death. Although diversity in the practice and experience of Christians is recognized, the central issues regarding Jesus’ death persist within the Christian tradition’s understanding of how death fits within the totality of human existence.