The First Post on the Last Judgement

Where does one begin to speak of the fate of those who are lost? No one likes hell. Most usually don't even want to think about it let alone speak of it. However, I've been thinking about this subject on and off for over two years and have decided start writing and dialoguing on it. There are a few reasons for this, but I suppose the biggest reason is because there is a lot of fear and misinformation surrounding the subject. I want to be fair, clear, and help bring a charitable dialogue for those who have, are, and will ask questions about it. You can leave a comment, send me a message, or speak to me in person. I am aware that for many this subject is sensitive. For others it's quite controversial. For this first post, I want to simply give a brief overview and introduction.

The subject is commonly called the Christian doctrine of hell or final punishment. I have purposely referred to it in the title of this post as the 'last judgement' to be even more neutral. This series is not intended to push the reader into a particular belief, but to uncover, explore, and explain the various beliefs Christians have historically held regarding the fate of everyone who is not 'in Christ' or 'saved' through Jesus when they die.

Historically there have been three main views on the subject. Here they are alphabetically:

Conditionalism - The belief that the unrepentant will experience a second death of both body and soul in hell passing out of being.

Traditionalism - The belief that the unrepentant will experience conscious torment of both body and soul in hell for all eternity

Universalism.- The belief that the unrepentant will experience conscious torment of both body and soul in hell until they repent and are saved.

These are extremely short summaries of the three views and I'm sure some adherents of these views would cringe at the oversimplification and lack of nuance. This is precisely the point of covering this subject, however, and there will be plenty of time to cover each in-depth. For the time being this is enough since some people may not have even heard of all three perspectives. Some may not even have realized what their perspective has actually been for their whole lives until they saw it just now in black and white.

For the majority of Christians, the traditional view is the norm. Many will have heard of universalism and some hold that position even if they do not fully understand it. Even less will hold to or have heard of conditionalism. I hope to help create a healthier dialogue on this controversial subject of hell by surveying what people actually believe and why. I hope to bring light, particularly on the lesser held views, in order that we may understand what each person actually believes rather than a caricature. I hope to eliminate the fear based reactions and careless dismissals that usually accompany the subject.

I welcome feedback, questions, suggestions, etc.