ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that in the history of Christianity, the idea of eternal life has been key to making sense of life and death. Typically, the words eternal life have been used to point to what happens after the body dies. But there are two other concepts that must be included. First, the word eternal can be understood to refer to a much bigger picture, a much more mysterious picture, one that serves as an umbrella under which the space between birth and death rests. The second is that eternal can refer both to life after death and life right now. It is similar to the use of kingdom of God which is coming and is also now. This suggests the existence of an evolution of experience beginning in life and moving toward life after death. The teachings of Jesus show that through the use of spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, the reality of eternal life can be realized as well as prepared for in the future. This paves the way for a Christian understanding of the spiritual and therapeutic value in experiencing presence within absence by providing a theological connection between this life and the next.
