Here are the three major views of hell held by Christians throughout the past 2,000 years.
- Universal salvation – All will eventually be saved by Christ. In order for all to be saved, some must go through a painful purification process after death. This view was held by two early church fathers—Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215) and Gregory of Nyssa (AD 335-395). Although it is not taught as official church doctrine, the Eastern Orthodox Church allows this view to be held as a personal opinion. (For more info. see the post Christian Universalism.) Here are YouTube talks on Christian universalism: William Barclay (5:16), Robin Parry (34:15), David Bentley Hart (38:10).
- Annihilationism – After a period of suffering commensurate for their sins, the wicked will be annihilated, which means they will cease to exist. Some early church fathers made statements that seem compatible with this view. In recent years Edward Fudge has helped to popularize this idea among evangelical Christians. (For more info. see the post Eternal Torment or Final Destruction?) Here’s Edward Fudge’s talk on annihilationism (1:02:45).
- Eternal conscious torment (ECT) – The wicked will suffer the pain of eternal, conscious torment. Augustine (AD 354-430) promoted this view and used Matthew 25:46 to support his case. This view became the dominant view of the Catholic Church and still remains a popular view among Christians. However, I believe it has the least biblical support.
In sum, the three views of hell and salvation are:
- salvation for all with some enduring a painful but temporary purification process
- salvation for some with others enduring a painful period of suffering leading to their literal destruction
- salvation for some with others experiencing eternal conscious torment
While we tend to have a fascination with the afterlife, it’s intriguing that the first Christian preachers didn’t actually talk much about it. (See this post.)
For my journey through these three views see my book:
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.