ABSTRACT
This chapter examines contemporary theological writings in order to ascertain whether there have been any developments of thought that move beyond the traditional negative view of death to affirm a more positive view. It also examines the writings of Karl Rahner and Hans Urs von Balthasar and reviews the theologies of Karl Barth, Eberhard Jungel and Jurgen Moltmann. The chapter identifies what should be acknowledged as constitutive elements of a comprehensively worked out theology of death as a dying into the Lord Jesus Christ. It has become apparent from the analyses conducted that a common feature of all the theological writings examined is that the mystery of death is portrayed as having a decidedly positive character in virtue of the fact that our death has been assumed by the redemptive death of the Lord Jesus Christ who has transformed death into new life.
