Reincarnation—the belief that the soul is reborn into new bodies across multiple lifetimes—was an essential part of early Christian thought, particularly among Gnostic sects and the followers of Origen. These early Christians believed in the soul’s pre-existence and its journey through multiple lifetimes as part of a divine purification process. However, in later centuries, the institutional Church actively suppressed and erased these teachings, declaring them heretical.
To uncover the truth, we must examine early Christian writings, including Gnostic gospels and apocryphal texts, as well as theological works from the time.
Gnostic Christianity and the Doctrine of Reincarnation
Gnostic Christians, who followed esoteric teachings of Jesus, openly embraced the idea that souls undergo multiple lifetimes. Several texts from the Nag Hammadi Library confirm their belief in reincarnation:
- The Gospel of Thomas, a collection of Jesus’ sayings, contains passages that hint at past lives. Saying 84 states:
“When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images that came into being before you, which neither die nor become manifest, how much you will have to bear!”
This passage suggests an awareness of previous existences, a fundamental tenet of reincarnation.
- The Pistis Sophia, another Gnostic gospel, explicitly describes souls returning to new bodies to correct past mistakes and progress toward divine enlightenment.
- The Apocryphon of John, another early Christian text, describes how souls are trapped in cycles of rebirth until they attain true knowledge (gnosis), at which point they are liberated from the cycle of reincarnation.
These writings indicate that early followers of Jesus believed in the transmigration of souls and saw it as central to the spiritual journey.
Origen and the Church’s Suppression of Reincarnation
One of the most influential early Christian theologians, Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–253 CE), openly taught the pre-existence of souls and their progression through multiple lifetimes. In On First Principles, he wrote:
“The soul has neither beginning nor end… It passes from one world to another, receiving a body appropriate to each condition.”
Origen’s ideas were widely accepted among early Christians, but as the institutional Church gained power, his teachings were increasingly seen as a threat. His belief in the soul’s journey through multiple incarnations contradicted the Church’s later doctrine of a single judgment after death.
In the 6th century, the Roman Emperor Justinian and Church authorities took aggressive steps to erase reincarnation from Christian doctrine. The Second Council of Constantinople (553 CE) issued a formal condemnation of Origen’s teachings, stating:
“If anyone asserts the fabulous pre-existence of souls, and the monstrous restoration that follows from it, let him be anathema.”
This was not a rejection of a fringe belief but rather an attempt to erase a fundamental Christian teaching that had existed for centuries.
Reincarnation: A Lost Christian Truth
The evidence is overwhelming—early Christians, particularly Gnostics and Origen’s followers, believed in reincarnation as part of the soul’s divine journey. However, as the Church sought to consolidate power, it systematically suppressed these teachings, labeling them heretical and removing them from official doctrine.
Despite this suppression, traces of reincarnation remain in early Christian texts, proving that this belief was an integral part of Christianity’s original message. Today, scholars and spiritual seekers continue to rediscover these lost truths, reclaiming a deeper understanding of the soul’s journey through multiple lifetimes.
Sources
- Origen, On First Principles
- The Gospel of Thomas, Nag Hammadi Library
- Pistis Sophia, trans. G.R.S. Mead
- The Apocryphon of John, Nag Hammadi Library
- Geddes MacGregor, Reincarnation in Christianity
- Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew
- Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels
- Second Council of Constantinople, 553 CE decrees