Christianity and reincarnation

This article by Paul Ladouceur examines the compatibility between belief in reincarnation and the Christian faith. Adopting a systematic theological and historical approach, the author first analyzes the origins of reincarnation in Eastern and ancient Greek traditions, as well as its contemporary spread in the West. He then demonstrates that no text in the New Testament supports this doctrine: the passages frequently invoked, notably those relating to John the Baptist and Elijah or to being born "from above," can be explained without recourse to reincarnation. An examination of the Church Fathers confirms their unanimous opposition to metempsychosis. On the doctrinal level, the article establishes that reincarnation is fundamentally incompatible with the Christian notions of personhood, freedom, resurrection, and salvation through Christ. The main contribution of the study is to show that any attempt to reconcile reincarnation and Christianity inevitably leads to an irreversible distortion of the anthropological and soteriological foundations of the Christian faith.