Rethinking Hell Readings in Evangelical Conditionalism

Most evangelical Christians believe that those people who are not saved before they die will be punished in hell forever. But is this what the Bible truly teaches? Do Christians need to rethink their understanding of hell? In the late twentieth century, a growing number of evangelical theologians, biblical scholars, and philosophers began to reject the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell in favor of a minority theological perspective called conditional immortality. This view contends that the unsaved are resurrected to face divine judgment, just as Christians have always believed, but due to the fact that immortality is only given to those who are in Christ, the unsaved do not exist forever in hell. Instead, they face the punishment of the "second death"--an end to their conscious existence. This volume brings together excerpts from a variety of well-respected evangelical thinkers, including John Stott, John Wenham, and E. Earle Ellis, as they articulate the biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments for conditionalism. These readings will give thoughtful Christians strong evidence that there are indeed compelling reasons for rethinking hell. Peter S. Grice - Igniting an Evangelical Conversation Glenn A. Peoples - Introduction to Evangelical Conditionalism Edward W. Fudge - The Final End of the Wicked Stephen H. Travis - The Nature of Final Destiny John R. W. Stott - Judgment and Hell Clark H. Pinnock - The Destruction of the Finally Impenitent John W. Wenham - The Case for Conditional Immortality Basil F. C. Atkinson - The Doom of the Lost E. Earle Ellis - New Testament Teaching on Hell Ralph G. Bowles - Does Revelation 14:11 Teach Eternal Torment? Harold E. Guillebaud - The General Trend of Bible Teaching Anthony C. Thiselton - Claims about "Hell" and Wrath Philip E. Hughes - Is the Soul Immortal? Henry Constable - Divine Justice Christopher D. Marshall - Divine and Human Punishment in the New Testament Nigel G. Wright - A Kinder, Gentler Damnation? Richard G. Swinburne - The Future of the Totally Corrupt Kim G. Papaioannou - The Development of Gehenna Between the Old and New Testaments LeRoy E. Froom - Conditionalism in the Early Church Evangelical Alliance - Hell and Evangelical Unity Roger E. Olson - Diverse Christian Beliefs About Life Beyond Death Ben Witherington III - Equally Orthodox Christians