We recently concluded our three-part podcast series on the topic of hell. We covered a lot in these episodes, including the three main beliefs in Christian circles regarding hell: universalism (everyone eventually goes to heaven), annihilation (hell exists but will at some point cease to exist along with those there), and eternal conscious torment (hell exists forever and those there will suffer for eternity).
We generally limit ourselves to sharing one or two recommended resources in the show notes of each podcast episode, but this is a big topic and we wanted to provide you with some more resources should you like to continue researching on your own. You can also find links to our three episodes on hell below.
Resources on universalism & introduction to hell
• “How Universalism, ‘the Opiate of the Theologians,’ Went Mainstream” from Christianity Today (article)
• “What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham’s bosom?” article
Resources on annihilation & eternal conscious torment
• A great back-and-forth series on eternal conscious torment vs. annihilation from Preston Sprinkle’s blog:
“In Defense of the Eternal Conscious Torment View of Hell” by Jerry Shepherd
“The Case for Conditionalism” by Chris Date
“Conscious in Death: A Response to Jerry Shepherd” by Chris Date
“Jerry Shepherd’s Response to Chris Date: Why Annihilation Is Wrong” by Jerry Shepherd
• “Annihilation or Eternal Punishment?” by Robert Peterson (article)
• “Hell - Two Different Views Debated” from Unbelievable? podcast (eternal conscious torment vs. annihilation)
• “J.I. Packer On Why Annihilationism Is Wrong” (article from The Gospel Coalition)
• “Biblical Support for Annihilation” by Preston Sprinkle
Resources on Jewish beliefs on hell & soul sleep
• “Heaven and Hell in Jewish Tradition” by Rabbi Or N. Rose (article)
• “Awake Beyond the Grave: What the Bible Says about Soul Sleep” by Brian Leicht (article)
• “Are People Unconscious at Death?” by Don Stewart (article)