A recent Scripts Howard/Ohio University (my alma mater) conducted a Poll on the Resurrection of the Body  and found that only 36% of Americans believed in it. 38% of Catholics believed in it, 50% of regular churchgoers did, and it was affirmed by 59% of those calling themselves "born again." These are pretty pathetic numbers, especially among Catholics. However, since most people are "Catholic" by birth regardless of the last time they received a Sacrament, it doesn’t surprise me really. Even the "born again" number seems a bit low. I will admit that in this case the way the question is phrased could have been confusing or misleading. Still, the bodily resurrection is an essential Christian belief and there needs to be more emphasis on the bodily resurrection of Jesus and our future bodily resurrection in preaching and teaching.

Why is the resurrection of the body important? Since this is Easter season, celebrating when Jesus rose bodily from the dead, I thought I’d post a few excerpts from an article I wrote awhile back for the website I co-edit, Ancient and Future Catholics, called On the Resurrection of the Body: A Catholic and Postmodern View. Of course, I give Church teaching, but try to explain it in a way that is accessible to all. Here are some points (see original link for sources/citations):

Almost all of the [resurrection] stories involved appearances to his

followers and almost all involve Jesus imparting wisdom and most

importantly doing things. The Church has a word for the

reality of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead: the bodily

resurrection. This means that Jesus was raised from the dead in

his body, not merely as a spirit or a ghost. The story above from

Luke makes this abundantly clear since a phantom or spirit does not

eat.

When the Church speaks of the bodily resurrection of Jesus, what

do we mean? It is important to mean that we do not believe in a

mere resuscitation. Jesus’ resurrection was different, for

example, from the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus was resuscitated

and lived, but died again. In Jesus’ bodily resurrection, his

human body is transformed into a glorified body for which there

is no future death. (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:35-56). Yet, it is not a

different body, but the same body he had since his birth: just

transformed. So, the Church affirms the continuity of the pre and

post-Easter body of Jesus. Tertullian (early 3rd century) wrote:

"…you will also allow that it was in the flesh that he was

raised from the dead. For the very same body which fell in death,

and which lay in the sepulcher did rise again." The exact "how" of

this event is a mystery, but it is still Christian Truth

(believed in faith). Jesus is alive today in his glorified body; there are no bones lying

around somewhere! Belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus

Christ is essential doctrine.

Why is the resurrection of the body important? The bodily

resurrection is key to not only the belief in the resurrection,

but also other tenets of the Christian faith (e.g. the

Sacraments). First, it is a continuation of the Incarnation.

God’s loving identification with his people is in both

death and the victory over death. Second, the bodily

resurrection affirms the goodness of and God’s lordship

over the created realm. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

God’s original purpose for mankind is fulfilled. We were

created for a bodily existence and are redeemed by Jesus Christ

in that state. The bodily resurrection also finalizes and affirms

the redemption of all creation begun when God become man in the

Incarnation. Third, the bodily resurrection has important

ethical implications. Because the redemption of the world has

come through the created order, it demonstrates how highly God

values the created order and specifically the body. Our bodies

can and must be dedicated to God’s glory now. This forms

the basis for not only personal holiness, but also social

justice. How we treat others, in the now, in the material realm,

matters. Redemption did not occur in the some abstract spiritual

realm, but in history, in creation. Thus, the living of

God’s kingdom is now, in creation, not just in some future

spiritual state.