While this is essentially a discussion of reincarnation in the context of
Christianity Gerry Palo has made some comparisons to Asian religious
beliefs on this topic which have simplified the Asian idea of karma
to the point of misrepresentation.

There are significant differences in the idea of karma among Hindus,
Jains, Buddhists (and even among the various Buddhist traditions.)

To refer to karma as a system of reward for past deeds is totally
incorrect in the Buddhist and Jain traditions.  Karma is considered to
be a moral process in which intentions (either good or evil) shape
a person's predilections for future intention and action and
produce a person who is more prone to good than evil, or the opposite --
"reward" has nothing to do with it.  Both Jainism and Buddhism are atheistic
so there is no deity to dispense rewards or punishments.  Karma is usually
described in terms of seeds and reaping the fruit thereof.  In fact "As you
sow, so shall you reap" is found in the Pali Canon as I recall, the metaphor
of natural growth is explicit.

Hinduism, or some sects in that tradition, are I believe much more
deterministic and involve concepts closer to reward and punishment being
theistically inclined.

In point of fact, the Theravadin Buddhist tradition of Southeast Asia
considers karma as only one of five influences in human life, and in
fact from their point of view they would be unable to explain the mechanics
of karma without the element of free will.

Also in Eastern religions there is a difference between reincarnation and
rebirth, which is essentially absent in Western considerations.

Isn't Origen usually cited as the most prestigious proponent of reincarnation
among Christian thinkers?  What were his views, and how did he relate them
to the Christian scriptures?