Reincarnation is the understanding that the spirit which reflects the light body of the soul is eternal. It has electrical properties that prove it is a form of energy that, according to the second law of thermodynamics, cannot be created or destroyed. The soul is ever-present in eternity and attaches itself to differing human bodies on its seemingly endless journey through time. The lessons learned from each incarnation perfect it to the point that returning to a three-dimensional body is no longer necessary. The early Christian community continued to believe in reincarnation after Jesus’ crucifixion. This belief system continued into the 6 th century until 553. What happened?

In 553 AD, the Roman Emperor Justinian convened an ecumenical council gathering at Constantinople. In attendance were 153 bishops, mostly from the eastern provinces of the Empire. Noticeably absent was Pope Vigilius who chose not to accept the Emperor’s mandate. He was arrested and placed in jail for 10 years.

Discussed were the bishops’ concerns regarding the writings of Nestorius, an archbishop from Constantinople who was excommunicated from the church at the Council of Ephesus because he taught that Jesus was not one divine person with both human and divine natures. The doctrine of reincarnation came into play and the writings of Origen and Eusebius, both scholars and philosophers, were evaluated. Origen proclaimed that God was incorporeal and existed in spirit only. Eusebius supported Arianism which believed that Jesus was born as a man who achieved divinity by mastering many lessons over many lifetimes.

The bishops complained that the church was losing money because of the writings of Origen that condoned the belief in reincarnation.

Followers were going directly to God in prayer to ask forgiveness for their sins as opposed to the priests who would absolve them of their sins for penance.

Theodora, the wife of the Roman Emperor Justinian, was perhaps his most trusted adviser. When the emperor Justinian was having trouble with his overworked slaves committing suicide, Theodora pointed out that if those souls believed they would come back again, hoping for a better life, the suicides would continue.

With that advice, Justinian applied the full power of Rome and his authority to stop the belief in reincarnation. He had the teachings of Origen on reincarnation banned and forced the ruling cardinals to draft a papal decree stating that anyone who believes that souls come from God and return to God will be punished by death.

The decree reads as: “If anyone asserts the fabulous preexistence of souls and shall assert the monstrous restoration which follows from it: let him be anathema.” 1 The Pope refused to sign the decree and was arrested. He escaped but was captured and forced to sign it. The official records state that reincarnation was never a belief system within the Roman Catholic Church. However, remnants from the original Christian churches and those from Kabballah Judaism and Essene communities still believed it, as did Jesus. Ultimately, the 2 nd Council of Constantinople that met in 553 condemned the writings of the three theologians (Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Ibas of Edessa), and reiterated the teachings of Ephesus and Chalcedon. The drama that ensued, which fomented the decree from Justinian, did not culminate until 543 AD with the forced signing of the Pope.

“The Anathemas Against Origen.” The Fifteen Anathemas Against Origen, 12 Sept. 2019, silouanthompson.net/2019/09/anathemas-against-origen/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.