Description
Christians have never agreed on Hell. In fact, there is no one word in the Greek New Testament that means Hell. When we use the word, what do we mean by it? Is it a place where certain sinners go to be consciously, eternally tormented by Satan, demons, or the like? If so, where is it, who goes there, and for how long? Or is Hell language metaphorical? And if Hell is essential to Christian theology, then why do John and Paul, the two authors who comprise the majority of the New Testament, have no language of Hell?
From universal salvation to eternal torment, to purgatory, to annihilation–the Christian tradition has housed them all. Intense emotions accompany this topic for many. While some find it a core Christian doctrine and essential pillar of their faith, others find it incongruous with their understanding of God as experienced through the life and work of Jesus Christ. Still others are sad or angry as they report that the doctrine has been used in a way that has caused them or someone they love deep emotional, spiritual, and psychological pain.
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Topics We’ll Cover:
- The History, Language, and “Meaning” of Hell (“The Bible Says”)
- Hell and God’s Character (Is God Moral? Is God Constrained by Time?)
- Hell and Our Character (Why Be Moral?)
- Hell and the Concern for Justice (The Big Picture-communal, eschatological, restorative v. retributive)
This Class Includes:
- One-night live class
- Live Q&A session
- Link to class recording
- Downloadable class slides
Your Instructor:
Rev. Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles is Professor of New Testament and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor at Perkins School of Theology, SMU in Dallas. She is also the Director of the Baptist House of Studies at Perkins. She received her B.A. from Stetson University focusing on both Philosophy and Russian Studies. She earned her M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and her Ph.D. in New Testament from Yale University.
She is the author of 6 books and numerous essays including 1 Corinthians: Searching the Depths of God (2021), Women in the Bible (2020), Reading John for Dear Life: A Spiritual Walk with the Fourth Gospel (2016), Engaging the Word: The New Testament and the Christian Believer (2010); Death and the Afterlife in the New Testament (2006); and Scripture Cannot Be Broken: The Social Function of the Use of Scripture in the Fourth Gospel (2003).
