REINCARNATION: TRUTH, MYTH OR TABOO? (Sunday Sermon)

A teacher’s Sunday search for answers to one of humanity’s oldest mysteries

By Ewere Okonta, PhD

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There are questions that refuse to die. One of them is: What happens to a human being after death?

For centuries, theologians, philosophers, traditionalists and scientists have wrestled with this question. One of the most controversial answers is reincarnation - the belief that, after death, an aspect of a person returns to earthly life in another body.

But is reincarnation real? Is it a myth? Is it African? Is it compatible with Christianity? Or is it, as some Christians contend, a spiritual deception?

I am not writing this as a theologian, metaphysician or religious scholar. I am simply a teacher who teaches Business Administration at the university, driven by curiosity and the desire to understand. I am asking questions, not claiming to possess the answers.

IS REINCARNATION AFRICAN?

Reincarnation is certainly found in African traditional thought, but it is not exclusively African. Similar ideas exist in several religious and philosophical traditions around the world.

Among some Igbo communities, beliefs concerning ancestors, lineage and reincarnation have historically provided explanations for the relationship between the living, the dead and those yet to be born. Yoruba thought also contains the concept of àtúnwá, commonly translated as reincarnation or rebirth.

But are these concepts identical to Hindu, Buddhist or Western New Age interpretations of reincarnation?

Perhaps not.

African traditional concepts may involve much more than a soul simply moving from one body to another. They can encompass ancestry, identity, destiny, family continuity and the continuing influence of the dead upon the living.

That distinction deserves deeper scholarly attention.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The conventional Christian position is that the Bible does not teach reincarnation.

Hebrews 9:27 says that human beings are appointed to die once, followed by judgment. Christianity traditionally teaches one earthly life, death, judgment and resurrection; not an endless cycle of earthly births and deaths.

But then comes an intriguing biblical statement.

Jesus said concerning John the Baptist:

“And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.” - Matthew 11:14.

Was John, Elijah reincarnated?

The wider context appears to suggest otherwise. Luke 1:17 describes John as going before the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elias.” Elijah also appears separately during the Transfiguration.

Thus, the traditional Christian interpretation is that John carried Elijah's prophetic spirit and mission, rather than being Elijah in another body.

Then there is John 9, where Jesus' disciples asked about a man who had been blind from birth:

“Who did sin, this man, or his parents?”

How could someone sin before birth?

The passage does not establish reincarnation, and Jesus does not endorse that interpretation. Nevertheless, the question demonstrates that people in biblical times, like us, wrestled with profound questions about birth, suffering, destiny and the unseen world.

These passages deserve serious theological examination rather than superficial conclusions.

REALITY OR MYTH?

Science has not established reincarnation as fact.

However, there are documented cases of children who claim memories of previous lives, some of which have been investigated by researchers. Certain cases contain details that researchers have found difficult to explain.

Does that prove reincarnation?

No.

An unexplained case is not necessarily proof of a supernatural explanation. Coincidence, suggestion, information acquired unconsciously, cultural influence, memory problems and other psychological factors must also be considered.

But should every unusual case simply be dismissed as nonsense?

I am not convinced.

There is an important difference between saying “I don't know” and saying “It cannot happen.”

The first is intellectual humility. The second requires evidence.

IS IT DEVILISH?

This is perhaps the most controversial question for Christians.

Reincarnation is incompatible with mainstream Christian teaching on death, judgment, resurrection and salvation. The Bible also strongly condemns practices involving divination and attempts to communicate with the dead.

But is there a specific biblical passage that says, “Reincarnation is the doctrine of the devil”?

I have not found one.

Therefore, rejecting reincarnation on theological grounds is one thing; declaring every person who believes in it a devil worshipper is another.

We should know the difference.

AFRICAN DOES NOT MEAN DEVILISH

For generations, some African traditional beliefs were dismissed as primitive or demonic simply because they were indigenous.

That approach deserves intellectual reconsideration.

The fact that something is African does not make it true. But neither does being African make it demonic.

African societies developed elaborate understandings of God, creation, morality, destiny, ancestors, death and the unseen world long before European missionaries arrived.

At the same time, we should not romanticise every traditional belief simply because it is African.

African origin is not proof of truth; European origin is not proof of falsehood. Evidence should matter.

SO, WHAT SHOULD WE BELIEVE?

Imagine a child born years after the death of a close relative. The child looks remarkably like the deceased, displays similar mannerisms and preferences, and perhaps knows things seemingly connected to that person.

The family says:

“He has come back.”

What should we say?

Reincarnation?

Genetics?

Psychology?

Coincidence?

Cultural conditioning?

Something metaphysical?

I don't know.

And I am comfortable saying so.

The university is supposed to be a place where questions are not feared. Unfortunately, our society increasingly produces instant experts; people who watch a five-minute social-media video and suddenly become theologians, scientists or metaphysicians.

Perhaps we need less certainty and more inquiry.

We should ask what African traditions actually teach; what the Bible actually says; what philosophy says about personal identity and consciousness; and what science has discovered about alleged past-life memories.

MY SUNDAY TAKE

I am not preaching reincarnation.

I am not condemning it.

I am not declaring it African or European.

And I am certainly not presenting myself as an authority on theology or metaphysics.

I am simply asking questions because I want to learn.

Reincarnation may ultimately prove to be a religious belief without empirical foundation. Some alleged cases may have perfectly ordinary explanations. Some African concepts translated as “reincarnation” may mean something considerably more complex. Or humanity may simply not yet possess the scientific tools to answer every question about consciousness and existence.

Whatever the eventual answer, death remains one of humanity's greatest mysteries.

So, this Sunday, I leave the conversation open to the experts:

Theologians, philosophers, traditional religious scholars, psychologists, neuroscientists and historians - please, help us understand.

Is reincarnation real?

Is it a myth?

Is it African wisdom?

Is it a theological error?

Is it incompatible with Christianity?

Is it devilish?

Or have we simply misunderstood what our ancestors were trying to tell us?

I am asking - not because I have the answers, but because I want to learn.

Sometimes, the beginning of wisdom is not knowing the answer; it is asking the right question.

Dr. Ewere Okonta is a university teacher, writer and CEO of EOB Media. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor.