Globally, about 129 people die every minute. Six of those deaths occur every minute in the United States. In nearly all those instances, someone or some people must decide what to do with the remains of the deceased. We shall address that issue as it applies to Christians living in the United States within the context of God’s word.
Death in the Shadow of Life
The way we deal with death often reflects our view of life. This is evident when walking through cemeteries and graveyards.1 Graveyards are allocated portions of churchyards for the burial of those affiliated with the church. The church members maintain a graveyard. Typically, they are smaller and restricted on who can be buried there. Cemeteries are generally secular, open to all members of the community, larger in size, and maintained by public or private staff. Some tombstones focus on worldly accomplishments; others quote Bible passages. For Christians, dealing with death should reflect an optimistic view of eternity, while reflecting the genuine emotions that come with the separation between loved ones. That is why the disposition of human remains is part of the larger topic of how we deal with death.
Someone once said, “We live each day as if we will die tomorrow, and we face death knowing we will live forever.” That sums up Christian optimism, at least in theory. The emotional aspect of living and dying, however, casts a large shadow over this.
The Inestimable Value of Dust
The story of life begins with dust molded into divine image and likeness, and given the breath of life (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 2:21-22). The way God formed the first humans was as miraculous as He formed the rest of creation, with one important difference: human life was formed “in the image and likeness of God.”
This distinctive characteristic of human life makes it eminently more special than all other life on Earth. Human life was permitted to take the life of other created things: first of plants (Genesis 1:30; Genesis 2:16-17); then of animals (Genesis 9:2-3). Human life, however, was to be protected (Genesis 9:5-6; Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:21) because it was created in the image and likeness of God.
It was also for the redemption of human life that God sent his son, Jesus Christ, as the sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:8; 1 John 2:2).
While human life is to have dominion over all the world (Genesis 1:26), it is also the specific object of God’s redeeming love (John 3:16), and was created not only for the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7; 1 Corinthians 10:31), but also created with specific good works intended for humans to do (Ephesians 2:10).
The Body Decomposes Upon Death
We learn from Scripture on the disposition of the dead more by examples than by directives. Consider the following:
- In describing death that comes because of sin, God proclaims, “…for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19, see also Ecclesiastes 3:20 and Job 34:15)
- The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all buried in family tombs or caves (Genesis 23:19; Genesis 25:9; Genesis 50:13).
- Joseph was embalmed by the Egyptians (Genesis 50:26), which included the removal and disposal of the brain and the removal of the internal organs (except the heart), which were placed in canopic jars and buried with the embalmed body. His embalmed body may have still been somewhat intact 400 years later when Moses took it from Egypt to be buried in the Promised Land (Exodus 13:19), though the biblical reference says that they gathered “his bones.”
- About 15 years after the death of Elisha the prophet (2 Kings 13:20), the Bible references the body of a dead man touching the “bones” of Elisha, and the man came back to life (2 Kings 13:21).
- When Lazarus had been dead for four days, the concern was that his body was rapidly decomposing in the hot, desert climate (John 11:39).
- John the Baptist was beheaded, with his head brought to Herodias on a platter, and his body was buried by his followers (Matthew 14:6-12).
- There was a ritualistic dignity in caring for the body that involved spices and anointing (King Asa in 2 Chronicles 16:14 and Jesus in Mark 16:1).
- King David was spoken of as “returning to dust” by the Apostle Paul (Acts 13:36).
So, what does this tell us?
It comes down to our relationship with God. Human life was God’s premier creation, formed in his image and after his likeness (Genesis 1:26), and given the responsibility of ruling over creation. At creation, it was a perfect relationship punctuated by God’s abiding love and mankind’s dedication to glorifying God in all things (Isaiah 43:7).
Tragically, that was shattered by the fall into sin (Genesis 3:1-24). From bliss came hardship. From life came death. With age comes deterioration and decline. With death comes decomposition and dust.
The decomposition of the body is a biological reality, which can be stalled but not stopped.
Honoring Life in Death
Believers in God recognize that the way they treat the death of fellow believers reflects both their appreciation for the lives those individuals lived and their optimism for what lies ahead. We see in Scripture a sharp contrast in attitudes for the dead who have died as children of God from those who die as enemies of God (Genesis 50:7-14; Joshua 4:7; 1 Samuel 31:8-13; 2 Kings 9:6; Isaiah 66:24; Jeremiah 34:20; Mark 16:1; John 19:38-42).
Over the centuries, people have used funerals and memorial services to honor the lives of those who have passed away. For believers in particular, the services focus on the work of Jesus Christ and the salvation he procured for the deceased and all people.
Changes in Practices
We have observed changes in elements of the funeral service over the years. At one time, funerals were held on the same day of the death. The primary concern was the immediate process of the human body decomposing. It was one of the harshest realities referenced in the story of Lazarus dying (John 11:39).
As families became more dispersed, efforts were made to forestall bodily decomposition. In arid climates, bodies were buried in shallow graves to hasten the process of drying out. Laying the body of the deceased on a bed of ice was also used to preserve the body for a later funeral.
Efforts to wait a day or so for a funeral saw family vigils or “wakes” to keep watch over the body until the funeral. Wakes provided for a round-the-clock vigil to ensure the following:
- The deceased was indeed dead.
- Keep away vermin and insects until the funeral.
- Protect the body from grave robbers (often referred to as “resurrectionists”) who anatomy schools often hired to find cadavers for the training of medical students.
Embalming Goes Mainstream
The Egyptians were most known for their elaborate embalming to preserve the body of the deceased. Jacob and his son, Joseph, were both embalmed by the Egyptians upon their deaths (Genesis 50:2-3; Genesis 50:26).
Egyptian embalming was a very involved process, devoting 40 days to drying out the body and then another 30 days for preparation and preserving the body. Other than for the very wealthy and powerful, embalming had limited use outside of Egypt.
Embalming caught on in the United States during the American Civil War so that war casualties could be transported home for viewing, a funeral, and burial with family and friends in attendance. Killed soldiers were embalmed by the injection of preservative fluids with the goal of temporary preservation. In contrast, Egyptian embalming was done to preserve a body for thousands of years.
When President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, his body was entirely embalmed at least three times, with multiple touch-ups to allow for 20 days of transportation and viewing before internment. Since then, embalming has become common in dealing with the deceased. It is primarily used to provide time for the family and friends to gather to pay their last respects.
Typically, embalmed bodies were placed in wooden caskets or wrapped in cloth and buried in the ground. As decomposition occurred, subsidence would occur. Subsidence refers to the downward settling or sinking of the ground that occurs when the body (and accompanying coffin or burial materials) decomposes, it loses volume, and the soil above collapses into the space left behind. This resulted in the use of vaults, which are typically made of concrete, metal, plastic, or fiberglass. Some bodies are also entombed in above-ground vaults and mausoleums.
People, uncomfortable with the thought of bodily decomposition, even after embalming, and the effect soil, vermin, and insects would have on the body, opt for the most durable caskets and vaults, often incorporating some method of sealing to keep moisture out.
Burial at Sea
The practice of burying seamen at sea goes back to the earliest seafaring civilizations. Mariners in ancient times committed their dead to the ocean out of necessity and tradition when returning bodies to land was not possible. In these early ceremonies, the deceased was often sewn into a weighted shroud, commonly sailcloth, and accompanied by ritual prayers or rites. With the birth of the U.S. Navy and merchant marine, the tradition continued in America. Sailors who died at sea were given burials following similar maritime customs. This is especially important during long voyages or wartime, such as during World War II, when refrigeration was unavailable and ships could be at sea for extended periods.
Cremation
In America, some native American cultures practiced cremation (reducing the deceased body to ashes by burning at high temperature). Henry Laurens, a signatory to the Articles of Confederation, is the first known Caucasian cremation in the United States upon his death on December 8, 1792. In his will, he directed that his remains be cremated and interred at his estate out of fear of being buried alive.
In 1876, the first crematory was built in Washington, PA. Eight years later, a second crematory opened in Lancaster, PA. It was not until the late 20th century, when traditional embalming and funeral costs were rising, that cremation began to gain popularity in the United States. In 2016, cremation surpassed bodily burial in the United States.
The handling of the ashes varies dramatically. Often, ashes are interred in a burial plot or columbarium (a structure containing niches designed to hold urns of cremated remains). Some have spread ashes at sea, in parks, woods, the family homestead, and in space. Funeral homes offer cremation jewelry and other keepsakes for family members to hold a portion of the ashes in remembrance of a loved one.
Other Forms of Bodily Decomposition
Human composting (also known as “terramization”) is a process in which a body is placed with organic materials in a vessel to decompose at an accelerated rate into nutrient-rich soil (fertilizer) over several weeks. The fertilizer is then spread over the soil to feed other plants. As of mid-2025, it is legal in thirteen U.S. states (Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, and Georgia). It is a process like creating compost for the garden.
Another “natural” option is to place the non-embalmed body in a “mushroom casket.” This casket is made from mushroom fungi and is designed to be activated when in contact with groundwater, thereby accelerating the decomposition process. Whereas a typically buried embalmed body could take 20-30 years to decompose, a non-embalmed body in a mushroom casket decomposes in about three years.
A hybrid between cremation and burial at sea is a process called Water Alkaline Cremation. It is a process combining water and alkaline chemicals, along with heat and sometimes pressure, to accelerate the natural decomposition of a body. This results in a sterile liquid and bone remains, which can be processed into a powder similar to traditional cremation ashes. It typically takes anywhere from three to eight hours for this process to be complete.
Finally, there is the option to donate a body to science to train future generations of medical professionals. Also, a related option is donating parts of the body through an organ donation program.
Some Considerations
This is far from a perfect world. Even these options don’t always work out correctly. Consider the following anecdotes:
- On May 2, 1863, Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was shot three times, twice in his left arm and once in his right hand. The next day, the field surgeon amputated Jackson’s left arm. The Confederate Chaplain Beverly Tucker Lacy felt the arm should not be discarded with other amputated limbs in a common grave because of Jackson’s status, so he had the limb buried at Elwood Manor, near Fredericksburg, VA. At that location is a granite marker that states, “Arm of Stonewall Jackson May 3, 1863,” which remains there today. Jackson, however, continued to live after the amputation for another week. He died of pneumonia on May 10, 1863, and was buried in Lexington, VA, a little over 100 miles from where his left arm is buried.
- On April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. It had about 2,200 passengers and crew members on board. More than 1,500 people died, and of those, only around 300 human remains were found. Scientists believe that at a depth of 12,500 feet, the environment is such that no human remains could be recovered any longer.
- Alistair Cooke, the 22-year host of Masterpiece Theater, died of lung cancer that spread to his bones on March 30, 2004. He requested his remains be cremated and scattered in Central Park, New York. A year later, the New York Daily News reported that several of Cooke’s bones were surgically removed before his cremation. The bones were sold as medical-grade bone grafts, even though Cooke’s cancer had spread to his bones. Those selling his bones altered the death certificate to hide the cause of death and changed his age at death from 95 to 85.
- On September 11, 2001, terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. Both towers were destroyed in less than two hours, killing more than 2,700 people. The destruction was so complete that no identifiable trace of at least 40% of the victims could be found.
I share these stories to illustrate, with some extreme examples, what can occur with the remains of the dead. It isn’t easy to imagine a bodily resurrection by our standards, without traceable remains, or that an incomplete body remains in the grave. But, to use the words of Christ, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
How Should Christians View These Options
As with most things, well-intentioned use of any of these options can also be used in rebellion to God. Egyptian embalming was closely tied to their view of life in the next world, which included some very unbiblical notions and practices. Contemporary embalming reflects the more practical matter of buying some time for family and friends to gather for a funeral.
Generally, protestant Christian churches are non-committal on the topic of what to do with the body of the deceased. Roman Catholicism is opposed to human composting because it sees it as challenging a long-standing tradition of reverence for the body and the desire for practices that visibly express hope in eternal life. While the Catholic Church accepts embalming for practical reasons, it maintains that human composting fails to uphold the dignity and sacredness of the human body, both in life and after death. The Catholic Church had a similar objection to cremation until 1963, when the practice was permitted so long as the ashes were kept intact and interred in a sacred place, not scattered or divided.
While burial is not one of the seven Roman Catholic sacraments, it is a highly favored practice as the most appropriate and reverent way to honor the dead, reflecting core beliefs about the body, resurrection, and the communion of saints.
Mainstream Protestantism’s noncommittal stance reflects its emphasis on personal conscience, the absence of explicit biblical mandates, and a focus on pastoral care over routine practices. The Protestant concern would be for respect and sensitivity.
In thousands of years, we will all become compost or dust. It was from the dirt of the ground that God made us. To it we return, and from it we shall be resurrected. I am certain God is not challenged in any way, whether we are embalmed, cremated, turned into compost, or destroyed to restore a whole body. As he formed the first man from the dust of the ground, so also can he restore bodies from the dust.
The Roman Catholic emphasis on the dignity of a funeral is a worthy thought to consider. The Bible contains numerous examples of funerals and periods of mourning (1 Samuel 25:1; Luke 8:49-56; Acts 8:2). There is value in that. What of the sad consequences we see in our society is an evolutionary view that reduces human life to little more than a higher form of animal life. That is not how God describes us.
Scripture does not prescribe how we should dispose of human remains. As with all things in a Christian’s life, it is to be centered on glorifying God. As we make choices, start with the disposition of your heart. You certainly ought not be challenging or testing God with your choices (Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew 4:7). You also should not feel you need to help God with the task of a bodily resurrection. He plans to give you an upgrade (Philippians 3:20-23; 1 Corinthians 15:35-54). As you honor God with your life, look at whatever disposition you have in mind for your human remains so that any action taken still points to glorifying God.
