Do Any Other Christians Believe God has a Physical Body?

[The Fourth Nephite]

I have a buddy that is fond of saying the LDS Church is the only Christian Church in the world that believes that God has a physical body. This seems unlikely that we're the only ones, yet I can't find any other ones that also believe this.

Does anybody know of any (other than LDS breakoffs)?

[Northwestcoug]

I can't think of another sect that does. But the sense I get is that it really isn't that important of a concept for most sects.

[chrisrenrut]

Seems that Rastafari may. Bob Marley in Get Up, Stand Up says:

We know and we understand
Almighty God is a living man

Waup may know more. It seems complicated, as Rastafari is more of a movement than a religion, and it has complicated ties to Christianity.

[Uncle Ted]

Of course, most Christians believe Jesus is God. Jesus has/had a physical body.

BTW, most of my neighbors don't believe Mormons are christians given what we believe about the nature of the Godhead. So if you put the LDS church in the class of non-christian religions there are lots of other religions that believe their god has a body. For example, ancient Egyptians believe their pharaoh was a god. Also, there are some of periods in Rome and Japan believed the same about their Emperor. Buddha, even though treated like a god, was not a god but instead when asked if he was a god would answer, "No, I am awake!"

[Green Monstah]

I could be wrong, but I think the Adventists do as well.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I think we are the only ones. I would be curious to be proven wrong though.

Here are a few interesting tidbits about that particular doctrine:

It was commonly believed in early 19th century Christianity that man was not created in the image of God the Father, but in the image of the "human soul" of Christ. Christ's premortal form was an imitation of the human form he would have on earth. There were a few groups that believed God the Father's spirit was also in human form, but most did not. You see this "man in Christ's image" language pop up all over the BOM. Some examples:

Christ will “take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning” (Mosiah 7:27).

The brother of Jared discovered that we were created “after Christ’s own image” (Ether 3:15).

Christ then said to him: “This body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh” (Ether 3:16).

The Book of Moses also references man being created in the image of Christ (Moses 2:27).

Early LDS doctrine also held quite firmly that God was a spirit. In 1840, Erastus Snow said:

“What Mormon, understanding our doctrines, ever said that God the Father had flesh and bones?”

and

“Does it necessarily follow that because God is a spirit, possessing universal knowledge, that spirit has no form, shape, or bodily appearance as you would have it?”

Parley P. Pratt also said in 1840:

“Whoever reads our books, or hears us preach, knows that we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as one God. That the Son has flesh and bones, and the Father is a spirit. . . . [A] personage of Spirit has its organized formation, its body and parts, its individual identity, its eyes, mouth, ears, &c., and that it is in the image or likeness of the temporal body, although not composed of such gross materials as flesh and bones.”

It wasn't until 1841 that JS started preaching that God has a body of flesh and bones.

Harrell, Charles R. (2011-08-02). "This Is My Doctrine": The Development of Mormon Theology (Part 1). Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition.

[Harry Tic]

I think we are the only ones. I would be curious to be proven wrong though.

Here are a few interesting tidbits about that particular doctrine:

It was commonly believed in early 19th century Christianity that man was not created in the image of God the Father, but in the image of the "human soul" of Christ. Christ's premortal form was an imitation of the human form he would have on earth. There were a few groups that believed God the Father's spirit was also in human form, but most did not. You see this "man in Christ's image" language pop up all over the BOM. Some examples:

Christ will “take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning” (Mosiah 7:27).

The brother of Jared discovered that we were created “after Christ’s own image” (Ether 3:15).

Christ then said to him: “This body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh” (Ether 3:16).

The Book of Moses also references man being created in the image of Christ (Moses 2:27).

Early LDS doctrine also held quite firmly that God was a spirit. In 1840, Erastus Snow said:

“What Mormon, understanding our doctrines, ever said that God the Father had flesh and bones?”

and

“Does it necessarily follow that because God is a spirit, possessing universal knowledge, that spirit has no form, shape, or bodily appearance as you would have it?”

Parley P. Pratt also said in 1840:

“Whoever reads our books, or hears us preach, knows that we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as one God. That the Son has flesh and bones, and the Father is a spirit. . . . [A] personage of Spirit has its organized formation, its body and parts, its individual identity, its eyes, mouth, ears, &c., and that it is in the image or likeness of the temporal body, although not composed of such gross materials as flesh and bones.”

It wasn't until 1841 that JS started preaching that God has a body of flesh and bones.

Harrell, Charles R. (2011-08-02). "This Is My Doctrine": The Development of Mormon Theology (Part 1). Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition.

Interesting quotes. It's fascinating to me that we take the First Vision to have settled all those questions once and for all. The unfolding of LDS doctrine was a long and complex process. I wonder when the "flesh and bones" vs. "flesh and blood" distinction got fleshed out, so to speak.

[Uncle Ted]

It wasn't until 1841 that JS started preaching that God has a body of flesh and bones.

Harrell, Charles R. (2011-08-02). "This Is My Doctrine": The Development of Mormon Theology (Part 1). Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition.

Maybe give or take a few years depending which historian you believe and when the 1838 first version account was actually published.

By the way, I picked up Harrell's book and started reading it on Sunday. Thanks for the recommendation.

[The Fourth Nephite]

The Word of Faith movement based in Atalanta believes God has a body. He's about 6'2 and 200 pounds.

[byu71]

It suprises me that more Christians don't believe in the 3 seperate beings concept. To believe in the Trinity you have to believe God prays to himself, descends from heaven as a sign to himself, pleads with his Father while on the cross and wonders aloud why he has forsaken himself.

We may have some things others look at and think are silly, but 3 seperate beings shouldn't be one of them.

[Solon]

I think we are the only ones. I would be curious to be proven wrong though.

Here are a few interesting tidbits about that particular doctrine:

It was commonly believed in early 19th century Christianity that man was not created in the image of God the Father, but in the image of the "human soul" of Christ. Christ's premortal form was an imitation of the human form he would have on earth. There were a few groups that believed God the Father's spirit was also in human form, but most did not. You see this "man in Christ's image" language pop up all over the BOM. Some examples:

Christ will “take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning” (Mosiah 7:27).

The brother of Jared discovered that we were created “after Christ’s own image” (Ether 3:15).

Christ then said to him: “This body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh” (Ether 3:16).

The Book of Moses also references man being created in the image of Christ (Moses 2:27).

Early LDS doctrine also held quite firmly that God was a spirit. In 1840, Erastus Snow said:

“What Mormon, understanding our doctrines, ever said that God the Father had flesh and bones?”

and

“Does it necessarily follow that because God is a spirit, possessing universal knowledge, that spirit has no form, shape, or bodily appearance as you would have it?”

Parley P. Pratt also said in 1840:

“Whoever reads our books, or hears us preach, knows that we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as one God. That the Son has flesh and bones, and the Father is a spirit. . . . [A] personage of Spirit has its organized formation, its body and parts, its individual identity, its eyes, mouth, ears, &c., and that it is in the image or likeness of the temporal body, although not composed of such gross materials as flesh and bones.”

It wasn't until 1841 that JS started preaching that God has a body of flesh and bones.

Harrell, Charles R. (2011-08-02). "This Is My Doctrine": The Development of Mormon Theology (Part 1). Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition.

These are bombs that JL is dropping. Wow.

That's a newish book, right? Any good? How does it interact with The Refiner's Fire (one of my favorite books)?

To the question at hand, I think most Christian churches consider the body to be inherently corrupt and sinful, a serious drag on the spirituality of the soul. To attribute a body to God is to relegate him to sinful bodily desires like lust, gluttony, and attending musicals.

[creekster]

To the question at hand, I think most Christian churches consider the body to be inherently corrupt and sinful, a serious drag on the spirituality of the soul. To attribute a body to God is to relegate him to sinful bodily desires like lust, gluttony, and attending musicals.

That would be OK as long as they are GOOD musicals.

[Jeff Lebowski]

These are bombs that JL is dropping. Wow.

That's a newish book, right? Any good? How does it interact with The Refiner's Fire (one of my favorite books)?

To the question at hand, I think most Christian churches consider the body to be inherently corrupt and sinful, a serious drag on the spirituality of the soul. To attribute a body to God is to relegate him to sinful bodily desires like lust, gluttony, and attending musicals.

I have not read The Refiner's Fire so I can't compare. It is a comprehensive two-volume work on the evolution of LDS doctrine, written by a friend of mine. I am working my way through volume 2 so I have shared several excerpts over the last few months. If you do a search the title or author you will see several posts. Might not appeal to everyone, but one of the most fascinating LDS-themed books I have ever read.