Justin Taylor points to a helpful article considering the ethics of cremation.
David Jones, professor of Christian ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has an excellent article in the latest issue of JETS on the topic of cremation, which I’ve received permission to post. It’s called “To Bury or Burn? Toward an Ethic of Cremation” (PDF).
Here’s the purpose of the essay:
In light of the growing interest in cremation, this brief work will attempt to summarize some of the key historical, Biblical, and theological considerations that have been a part of the moral discussion of cremation within the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Good article. I think there are some other things to think about too:
1. Is it the best use of your/your family’s resources to pay for a funeral and burial? My father’s funeral and burial was $11K (whereas cremation can be just $2K or so). He was a man who had devoted his life to Christ and missions – would it have been better to use that money as a gift to the church he helped start, etc? It’s a shame to see that much money get “buried” when Christ’s work could have used it.
2. It is easier on the environment to cremate rather than bury.
In the end it’s such a personal decision, and a tough one. Cremation strikes some as a horrifying thing, but others like me find it the best way to return “dust to dust, ashes to ashes.”