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The Presbyterian preacher George Buttrick once said, "There is nothing more incongruous than dressing up a corpse in a tuxedo!" Cremation, too, can be done in ways that desecrate rather than respect the dead. For example, one can now order designer urns in which elements of a loved one's "cremains" are mixed with clay and glazed to create a piece of lovely pottery!

Whether final disposition is by burial or cremation, the Christian church should offer a funeral liturgy in which the reality of death is not camouflaged, and the resurrection of the body is affirmed. We solemnize the departure of our loved ones by reminding ourselves that we brought nothing into this world, and that we can carry nothing out. "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Timothy George is a CT executive editor and dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

A ready-to-download Bible Study on this article is available at ChristianBibleStudies.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.

Christian History Corner recently looked at "The Cremation Question." Author Elesha Coffman found that firm belief in resurrection hasn't kept Christians from caring—and arguing—about what happens to the bodies of the dead.

See the links below for a variety of Christian views on the subject of cremation:

• American Catholic (current American perspective)
  
  
• The Catholic Encyclopedia (early 20th century Catholic perspective)
  
  
• Assemblies of God
  
  
• Vancouver School of Theology (mainline Canadian and American)
  
  
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
  
  
• ReligiousTolerance.org (detached comparison)

Christianity Today took an in-depth look at the funeral industry in 1999's "Death, Inc."

Read Timothy George's staff bio at the site of Beeson Divinity School.

Christianity Today articles by Timothy George include:

The 'Baptist Pope'W.A. Criswell showed remarkable openness and flexibility when these traits were rare among evangelicals. (March 5, 2001)

Is the God of Muhammad the Father of Jesus?The answer to this question reveals the heart of our faith. (Feb. 1, 2002)

Does God Hear Muslims' Prayers? | We must remember that God does not deal with theologies; he deals with persons. (Feb. 1, 2002)

Has God Played Fair?Why did an omniscient God create humankind knowing that people, in every generation, would reject him? (Nov. 20, 2001)

Big Picture FaithFrom the first nanosecond to the final cry of victory, and every divine moment between—all is charged with meaning. (Oct. 19, 2000)

Why We Still Need MoodyThe man who invented modern evangelicalism. (Dec. 6, 1999)

A Theology to Die ForTheologians are not freelance scholars of religion, but trustees of the deposit of faith. (Feb. 9, 1998)

Why We Still Need LutherFour hundred fifty years after his death, Martin Luther can still inspire and guide us. (Oct. 28, 19996)

Earlier Good Question columns include:

Won't heaven's joy be spoiled by our awareness of unsaved loved ones in hell?

Where exactly do "Oneness" Pentecostals stand in relation to orthodoxy?

Do a man and a woman become married after having sex or after exchanging vows?

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May 21 2002, Vol. 46, No. 6