Claim. Resurrection is the process of being restored from the spiritual death caused by the Fall back to life under God’s dominion — not the biological regeneration of decomposed bodies. Each time a fallen person repents and rises to a higher state of goodness, that person is resurrected to that degree.
Elaboration. Per 1.3. The Meaning of Resurrection: “Many have hitherto believed that the death caused by the Fall was physical death. Consequently, they have interpreted the biblical concept of resurrection as revival from physical death.” But the Fall did not cause physical death (per dp-physical-death-was-original-design-not-fall-consequence), so resurrection cannot be the reversal of physical death. Decomposed bodies are not restored to their original state; spirits in the spirit world have no need of new bodies.
DP defines: “Resurrection may be defined as the process of being restored from the death caused by the Fall to life, from the realm of Satan’s dominion to the realm of God’s direct dominion, through the providence of restoration. Accordingly, whenever we repent of our sins and rise to a higher state of goodness, we are resurrected to that degree.”
Two NT texts grounding the reframing: “he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life… has passed from death to life” (24) — present-tense resurrection through belief, not future bodily event; and “for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22) — read as inheriting Satan’s lineage (death) vs returning to God’s lineage through Christ (resurrection).
This redefinition is the most contested DP doctrine vs orthodox Christianity (Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed: “resurrection of the body”; 1 Cor 15 bodily-resurrection chapter). DP keeps “resurrection” the word but transposes the referent from biological revival to dominion-transfer.
See also. dp-resurrection-changes-are-internal-body-unchanged-externally, dp-history-is-providence-of-restoration