The Christian celebration surrounding Easter centers on what many believe is the ultimate triumph in all of human history -- Jesus Christ's literal bodily resurrection from the dead, bringing with it the promise of resurrection for all mankind.
That celebration of life beyond the grave has at its center the redemption of the human body, which Christians for centuries believed must be buried in order to allow for life to one day return.Yet despite that belief, for people both nationwide and in Utah, cremation is growing in popularity as a means of disposing of the dead. According to the Cremation Association of North America, 15 percent of all Utahns who died in 1996 elected to be cremated. The number is relatively low compared to neighboring Nevada, at 54 percent, and Hawaii, with 58 percent. Nationally, about 21 percent of Americans who died that year were cremated.
While the practice has been part of some Eastern religious traditions for centuries, Christians traditionally have eschewed cremation.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "it is recorded that in times of persecution, many risked their lives to recover the bodies of martyrs for the holy rites of Christian burial. The pagans, to destroy faith in the resurrection of the body, often cast the corpses of martyred Christians into the flames, fondly believing thus to render impossible the resurrection of the body."
In fact, the Bible records that Joseph of Arimathaea went to Pontius Pilate "and begged the body of Jesus" (Luke 23:52-53) after he was crucified, then "wrapped it in linen and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone." (Luke 23:52-53, KJV) Tradition holds that Roman crucifixion usually included dumping the bodies of victims into a pit where they would be devoured by wild dogs, adding to the horror of that form of death for Christians, who believe the body is a temple for the human spirit to dwell in.
Though various Greek and Roman groups practiced cremation in the decades immediately following Christ's ministry, "by the fifth century of the Christian Era, owing in great part to the rapid progress of Christianity, the practice of cremation had entirely ceased," according to the Catholic Encyclopedia.
While the practice of cremation began in this country in the late 1800s, several Christian denominations still discourage cremation in modern times. Most Protestants don't hear specific instruction on whether cremation is accepted, while other faith groups have definite guidelines.
Catholic theology regarding cremation was modified somewhat during Vatican II in the 1960s, and the position is now stated in the church's Revised Code of Canon Law, which says that "the church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burial be retained; but it does not forbid cremation, unless this is chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching."
Guidelines have since been adopted to help Catholics decide whether cremation is the best alternative, in conjunction with their priest.
Members of the LDS Church are also encouraged to avoid cremation, according to guidelines in the church's Handbook of Instructions. In cases where cultural or legal prescriptions dictate cremation, the instruction is that members who have participated in temple ordinances should be dressed in temple clothing before the cremation takes place.
The importance of the body to Latter-day Saints was emphasized by Elder James E. Talmage, an LDS apostle, who taught that "it is peculiar to the theology of the Latter-day Saints that we regard the body as an essential part of the soul. . . . nowhere, outside of The Church of Jesus Christ, is the solemn and eternal truth taught that the soul of man is the body and the spirit combined."
Orthodox Christians may be the most stringent when it comes to dictating the specifics of what is acceptable as a Christian burial. "According to the Holy Canons of the church, the body of a deceased Christian must be returned to the earth," says a treatise on death, funeral and requiem by the Rev. Victor Sokolov.
Writing on behalf of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, he states that "Cremation is specifically forbidden. The body is placed in a casket and set in a grave. It is necessary to have a cemetery plot, a grave liner or vault (if required by law), and a marker or monument with the image of the cross."
While teachings about the specifics of the resurrection differ from faith to faith, Easter services both this weekend and next weekend (for Orthodox Christians) will celebrate what may well be the singular belief all Christians hold in common: that Christ is risen, giving them hope for life after death.