Embodied Hope: Christian Materialism, Open Theism, and the Resurrection

This paper explores the intersection of Christian materialism and open theism in shaping a theological understanding of resurrection and eschatological hope. Christian materialism asserts that humans are wholly physical, with personal identity formed through experience, grounding ultimate hope in bodily resurrection where suffering is redeemed rather than erased. Open theism portrays God as relational and responsive, experiencing time dynamically and suffering genuine loss at death, which it views as the true end of existence. Together, these perspectives challenge traditional notions of an immediate, disembodied afterlife, instead emphasizing salvation as the healing and restoration of creation. The resurrection, therefore, is not merely an individual hope but a cosmic fulfillment of both human and divine longing for embodied transformation.