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This article focuses on the issue of cremation the church is increasingly faced with and with which is has to deal. The issue has become very topical in South Africa as cemeteries are reaching capacity. Throughout its history the church, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, viewed cremation in a negative light. The author traces the reasons for this negativity back to the thirteenth century. Finally, the article focuses on relevant scriptural passages. South Africans can no longer avoid the issue because some cemeteries have already reached their full capacity and land for more cemeteries is limited.