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[ 74 ] the rise and fall of soul and self
Augustine held that there would still be a distinction of the sexes in heaven.
In a passage in which he considered the debate about whether women would be
reconstituted with a female or a male body, he decided that they would be recon-
stituted with a female body, but one deprived of lust! Both sexes, however, would
retain whatever contributed to their physical beauty, which Augustine thought
of as harmonious proportionality. In the case of men, retaining what contributed
to their beauty meant retaining their beards. Both sexes would retain their geni-
talia and all of their inner organs. There is the suggestion, though, that since
nothing is hidden in heaven, heavenly bodies would be transparent, inner organs
exposed to view.
29
Shortly after Augustine died, the Roman Empire in the West fell to barbarians, and
cultural darkness descended over Europe. Augustine, as it were, got the last word, just
as the Patristic Period was drawing to a close. Largely because of the importance to
Christian thinkers of the dogma of resurrection, the Patristic Period began a discussion
of selfhood and personal identity more focused and subtle than any that had taken place
previously. In Europe, a comparable intellectual revitalization would await the
thirteenth century.
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