While most healthy people really don’t like the idea of it, hell is a central part of Christian theology. But what you might be surprised to find is that your understanding of what hell is may not be the only viable view.
So in this episode, we explore three different understanding of hell that have existed in the Church through the millennia. And while we can’t endorse universalism based on what we know from Scripture, the other two views both have interesting biblical arguments to consider.
Here are the three views we explore. As we discuss each view, we point out notable Christians who have subscribed to it, its guiding principles, as well as the biblical passages that have been used to support it.
- Eternal Conscious Torment
- Annihilationism / Terminal Punishment / Conditional Immortality
- Universalism
Here are the links to the resources we reference in this episode. Please note that citing these sources isn’t necessarily an endorsement of all their ideas, particularly with regard to those who argue for universalism.
- Blog: “Biblical Arguments for Eternal Conscious Torment” by Preston Sprinkle
- Blog: “Universalism and the Bible: The Really Good News” by Keith DeRose
- Blog: “Biblical Support for Annihilation” by Preston Sprinkle
- Book: Love Wins by Rob Bell
- Book: Evangelical Essentials: a Liberal-Evangelical Dialogue by David L. Edwards and John Stott
- Website: Rethinking Hell, created by Chris Date
