Dr. Scott Hahn – Hope to Die on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor
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Dr. Scott Hahn and Kris McGregor discuss his book Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body. Dr. Scott Hahn explores the sacred significance of the human body, created not as a mere vessel but as a bridge to communion with others and with God. Christianity confronts both the fear of physical death and the deeper reality of spiritual death. True hope lies not in escaping mortality but in the promise of resurrection—life that is divine rather than merely biological. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, death itself becomes a prayer and sacrifice of love that unites humanity to God’s eternal life.
It connects this mystery to the Eucharist, calling it the sacrament of the Resurrection. The same body of Christ that hung on the cross is now glorified and offered to the faithful, transforming not just bread and wine but the hearts and bodies of those who receive Him. Baptism and confession are likewise “sacraments of resurrection,” restoring the divine life lost through sin. In reclaiming a true Christian understanding of life, death, and resurrection, Dr. Scott Hahn offers a joyful antidote to modern fear—an invitation to live and die in the radiant hope of eternal communion with God.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
- How does viewing the body as a “bridge” rather than a “barrier” shape the way I relate to others and to God?
- In what ways do I struggle to see death as a passage to eternal life rather than an end to earthly existence?
- How does the Eucharist help me understand the reality of Christ’s resurrected body and my own future resurrection?
- What does my participation in the Mass reveal about my belief in the real presence of Jesus?
- How can I renew my appreciation for the sacrament of baptism as a true sharing in Christ’s death and resurrection?
- When I receive the sacrament of reconciliation, do I recognize it as an encounter with the risen Christ restoring divine life within me?
- How do I allow fear or anxiety about physical death to overshadow the hope of eternal life promised in Christ?
- What practical steps can I take to treat my body—and the bodies of others—as temples of the Holy Spirit?
- How might reflecting on the communion of saints and the resurrection of the body transform the way I view suffering and mortality?
- In what ways can I “blow off the dust” of my faith, rediscovering the beauty and power of the Church’s teachings in Scripture and the Catechism?
You can find the book here.
From the book description
As Catholics, we believe in the resurrection of the body. We profess it in our creed. We’re taught that to bury and pray for the dead are corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We honor the dead in our Liturgy through the Rite of Christian burial. We do all of this, and more, because when Jesus Christ took on flesh for the salvation of our souls he also bestowed great dignity on our bodies.
In Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body, Scott Hahn explores the significance of death and burial from a Catholic perspective. The promise of the bodily resurrection brings into focus the need for the dignified care of our bodies at the hour of death. Unpacking both Scripture and Catholic teaching, Hope to Die reminds us that we are destined for glorification on the last day.
Our bodies have been made by a God who loves us. Even in death, those bodies point to the mystery of our salvation.
About the Author
Scott Hahn is the Fr. Michael Scanlan Professor of Biblical Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. Founder and President of the St. Paul Center, Dr. Hahn has been married to Kimberly since 1979; they have six children and twenty-three grandchildren. He is the author or editor of over fifty popular and academic books, including best-selling titles Rome Sweet Home, The Lamb’s Supper, and Hope to Die.
