Showing results for "hell" in Religious Studies

When it appeared in 1670, Baruch Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise was denounced as the most dangerous book ever published. In A Book Forged in Hell, Steven Nadler tells the fascinating story of this extraordinary book: its radical claims and their background in the philosophical, religious, and political tensions of the Dutch Golden Age, as well as the vitriolic reaction these ideas inspired.

Is God a sadistic torturer? Coldhearted judge? Genocidal maniac? Unfortunately, our popular caricatures often make him out to be. God has some skeletons in the closet. At least, that's what many of us fear. "How can a loving God send people to hell?" "Isn't it arrogant to believe Jesus is the only way to God?" "What is up with holy war in the Old Testament?" These are difficult questions that our family, our friends, our culture - even we ourselves - are asking.

The great fourth-century church father Basil of Caesarea once observed that, in his time, most Christians believed that hell was not everlasting, and that all would eventually attain salvation. But today, this view is no longer prevalent within Christian communities. In this momentous book, David Bentley Hart makes the case that nearly two millennia of dogmatic tradition have misled readers on the crucial matter of universal salvation.

In Hell? No! Rick Lannoye masterfully unravels all the ploys used to perpetuate the fear of Hell, beginning with the history of its pagan origins, the process by which Christianity adopted Hades' Realm from Greek mythology and how the original gospels have been manipulated to keep the unfounded fear of Hell alive today. Most importantly, Lannoye provides practical advice to anyone--no matter how emotionally and spiritually abused--about how they can be set free and become absolutely certain there is no such place as Hell.

From classics such as the Odyssey and the Aeneid to fifth-century Christian apocrypha, narratives that described guided tours of the afterlife played a major role in shaping ancient notions of morality and ethics. In this new account, acclaimed author Bart Ehrman contextualizes early Christian narratives of heaven and hell within the broader intellectual and cultural worlds from which they emerged.

For centuries, many have been taught to believe that the Bible presents a vivid picture of a fiery Hell, where God sadistically torments most of humanity by burning their skin for all eternity. But is this really the picture Scripture paints? Were you raised to view Hell through the lens of the Augustinian-Calvinist tradition, perhaps too intimidated ever to question it? If so, this book is for you. In it, we will challenge the fundamentalist perspective on Hellfire by exploring the original context in which the biblical teachings on Hell were written.

Jesus declared war on an ancient enemy at the very beginning of His ministry. He hinted at the identity of this entity through the locations of His baptism, the Transfiguration, and the Olivet Discourse. This enemy was cast down from the mountain of God. He's deceived millions in sacrificing their children on his altars. And he returns from the bottomless pit at the end of the age—a prophecy encoded into the art and architecture of the United States Capitol. This entity may be more dangerous than Satan himself.

How do you know if you're going to heaven? How do you avoid going to hell? Learn what its like in heaven and hell from Emanuel Swedenborg's conversations with angels and spirits as this eighteenth-century Christian mystic explains what happens when we die. A Swedish Enlightenment scientist of extraordinary accomplishment, Swedenborg underwent a spiritual awakening that led to almost daily experiences of heaven, hell, and what he called the world of spirits; a process that lasted twenty-seven years until his death at age 84.

On November 22, 1963, three great men died within a few hours of each other: C. S. Lewis, John F. Kennedy, and Aldous Huxley. All three believed, in different ways, that death is not the end of human life. Suppose they were right, and suppose they met after death. How might the conversation go? Peter Kreeft imagines their discussion as a part of The Great Conversation that has been going on for centuries. Does human life have meaning? Is it possible to know about life after death? What if one could prove that Jesus was God?

Here is an eyewitness account of the true nature and existence of Hell. Uebert Angel was afforded visitations to Hell by God, and was commanded to let the world know the reality of Hell and to remind the world to choose life and prepare for eternity. As the Lord Jesus appeared to Uebert Angel, he took him on tours of Hell and showed him the suffering there. He saw some of the horrors of Hell and saw many souls in torment. Jesus showed him what happens to souls when they die as unbelievers. He was also shown the horrors purported Christians face in Hell when they reject His grace.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by the English poet William Blake consists of a series of texts written in the style of biblical prophecy but expressing Blake's own beliefs. Composed between 1790 and 1793, the book makes reference to Milton and Swedenborg, and adopts a device from Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost: a visit to hell. Blake expresses a deliberately depolarized and unified vision of the cosmos in which the material world and physical desire are both part of the divine order.

Did you know that the original biblical languages use several words for heaven and hell that mean different things? Did you know that there are different beliefs about how many heavens and hells there are? Get ready for some surprises! This book will help you set aside your preconceptions and pierce through the myths and misinformation to gain an accurate, truly biblical perspective on heaven and hell.

For centuries, readers have marveled at the imaginative brilliance of authors like C. S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Charles Williams. But what inspired these literary giants? The Way of Dante takes you on a journey of discovering how the medieval poet Dante Alighieri and his masterwork, The Divine Comedy, shaped their thoughts, artistry, and faith.

Before Heaven and Hell tells the true story of Zoroastrianism—the world’s first documented monotheism and the forgotten root of many modern beliefs. Long overshadowed by the religions it helped inspire, Zoroastrianism introduced core concepts we now take for granted: Heaven and Hell, final judgment, a cosmic savior, angels, demons, ethical dualism, and free will as a sacred responsibility.

This book caters to a wide audience interested in exploring their faith or seeking answers about the afterlife. Whether you're a devout believer or a skeptic, What the Hell is Hell? invites you on a journey of discovery and reflection.

Într-o dimineață din primăvara anului 1953, Aldous Huxley ia patru zecimi de gram de mescalină și așteaptă răbdător să vadă ce se întâmplă. După un timp, constată că totul, de la florile din vază până la cutele pantalonilor, e complet schimbat: culorile sunt mai intense și mai luminoase, iar timpul și spațiul par să nu aibă nici o importanță. Huxley notează cu lux de amănunte senzațiile trăite în Porțile percepției, conchizând că halucinogenele stimulează creativitatea și brodând pe marginea efectelor pe care asemenea experiențe le-ar putea avea asupra artei și religiei.

"天國與地獄"不僅在探討靈魂的歸宿, 也進入了史威登堡深邃的基督教神學與聖經詮釋. 他並非只是哲學家或秘宗學者, 而是一位以獨特方式解讀聖經的靈視者. 他的思想超越了傳統神學, 並以親身體驗和靈性洞察, 揭示天堂, 地獄, 以及靈魂的最終命運. 史威登堡在本書中提出了一個革命性的觀點, 天國與地獄並非上帝強制審判人送往的領域, 而是靈魂依其內在選擇自動進入的境界. 他強調聖經的象徵性認為其文字背後蘊藏著更深層的靈性意義. 例如, 聖經中提到的"新耶路撒冷", 在他的詮釋中並非一座地理上的城市, 而是一個象徵人類靈性提升的境界. 此外他認為天使並非上帝特別創造的靈物, 而是那些在世時選擇慈善行並愛神的靈魂之自然轉化. 這與基督教的傳統觀點形成鮮明對比. 史威登堡也探討了基督教的核心概念, 靈魂的重生, 他認為真正的信仰並不是口頭的信念或宗教的儀式, 而是人內在的轉變. 只有透過善行與愛, 靈魂才能與天堂的光輝相契合. 他的神學思想在某種程度上與儒家"格物致知"的理念產生共鳴. 人的道德選擇直接影響靈魂的昇華與終極歸宿. 他的神學也與道家"人法地, 地法天, 天法道, 道法自然" 的理念相呼應. 對於華人聽眾, 這本書不僅是基督教神學的啟示, 也是一場跨文化的靈性對話. 當你聆聽史威登堡的靈視世界, 你會發現天國與地獄並非遙遠的概念, 而是我們每一天的選擇所塑造的最終歸宿.

It is often said that “no one spoke more about hell than Jesus.” This book examines the words of the Savior of the World to see if that statement is true. What if the teaching that there is a place of never-ending punishment is the result of bad interpretations of things Jesus said? And what if the teaching that there is a “hell” was not passed on by the original disciples? Is never-ending torment consistent with what Jesus said about love and forgiveness?

In early Christianity, a diverse body of texts emerged alongside the canonical scriptures, many of which aimed to fill in gaps left by the New Testament narratives. Among these apocryphal works, the Gospel of Nicodemus, which includes the Acts of Pilate and the account of the Harrowing of Hell, stands out for its rich portrayal of the events surrounding Christ's trial, crucifixion, and descent into Hell. These texts, though non-canonical, offer a unique glimpse into early Christian beliefs and the theological debates that shaped the development of the faith.

Is a doctrine of everlasting punishment in hell consistent with God's perfect love and perfect justice? And what implications does this traditional doctrine carry for the nature of divine grace and mercy. In Hell in a Nutshell Charles Watson, Sr., argues that we should not allow a received doctrine, such as the doctrine of hell, to determine our understanding of God's justice, love, and mercy; instead, we should allow a biblically informed understanding of these divine attributes to shape our understanding of every received doctrine, including the doctrine of Hell.