Essay on The Ideas of Hell and Purgatory - 3168 Words

The Ideas of Hell and Purgatory Hell has probably caused more personal anxiety and distress than any other Christian belief. Hell has also motivated many Christians to follow the Great Commission and attempt to convert the world to Christianity (Various Views of Hell: As seen by Conservative Christians). The word hell derives from the Pagan Norse Queen of the Underworld, Hel. When Christianity first evolved, the church taught that nearly everyone descended to this similar place to earth after dying. Included in this belief were the Pagan Gods and Goddesses from the Middle East, Rome, Greece, and the Germanic and Celtic tribes. Nevertheless, hell was commonly envisioned based on an†¦show more content†¦In the third century, when hell was considered an eternal punishment, Tertullian thought of a new place that he called the bosom of Abraham. The bosom of Abraham, though not in heaven, and yet above hell, offers the souls of the righteous an interim refreshment until the end of all things brings about the general resurrection and the final reward (Chidester 149). The idea of this mid-place caught the attention of many theologians of the time. In the fourth century, hell was seen as a place of spiritual suffering by Gregory of Nyssa. At the same time, the Latin theologian Jer ome theorized hell as a place of pure physical torture. Augustine of Hippo proposed that correctional fire was used to free souls from sin (Chidester 152) in the fifth century. He introduced the thought that suffering in hell was both spiritual and sensory, and that a purifying fire would cleanse the soul while being agonizingly painful. During the next century, Origen argued against the mainstream belief that hell was forever. He suggested that sinners in hell could be rehabilitated and work toward heaven. Church leaders quickly rejected this view at the Council of Constantinople in 543. Instead, Augustines cleansing fire idea reigned most believable until the fourteenth century. Out of this imagery of refining fire, the geography of the Christian afterlife was expanded to include aShow MoreRelatedPurgatory During the Protestant Reformation Essay654 Words   |  3 PagesPurgatory During the Protestant Reformation All Souls Day, November 2nd, does anyone really understand why it is a holy day or is it just another meaningless holiday Catholics are asked to attend church? All Souls Day is a day that the Catholic Church has set aside to help pray for all the souls not yet joined with god. During this day, people are asked to pray for all of the departed who have passed on and are now in purgatory working very hard to have the privilege of joining to godRead MoreThe Ghost Of The Late King Hamlet1374 Words   |  6 Pagessonnets. During this time people became more comfortable with this unknown that most plays and sonnets included like purgatory, but they were still not comfortable with talking about ghosts walking on the earth. Even though each religious leader in the Elizabethan Era set how their people should have thought about Purgatory, they all had the same definition of what it was. Purgatory is defined as, â€Å"‘the prison in which ghosts were normally incarcerated, though they might be allowed to escape now andRead MoreThe Beliefs Of A Spiritual Body1370 Words   |  6 Pagesresponds to the question most frequently asked by humankind throughout history. Each of them tries to explain what happens after death. Muslims and Christians similarly believe that, after death, souls go to either heaven or hell. However, the two religions have different ideas about what will happen once the soul is presented before God on the day of Judgment. To Christians, death is a transit from earthly life to God. Many of them think of the soul as an immortal entity within us that goes on livingRead MoreIs the Ghost in Hamlet Pure Evil? Essay1181 Words   |  5 Pagescontroversial topic with arguments determining whether the Ghost is a â€Å"goblin damn’d† or a â€Å"spirit of health.† (1.4.40) â€Å"‘A spirit of health’ is one, which comes from heaven with charitable intentions, and ‘a goblin damn’d’ is one, which comes from Hell with wicked intentions.† The Ghost only has two appearances in the play and is a symbol for uncertainty, yet it is important as it catalyses the play into action and also Hamlet into madness. The Ghost in Hamlet is an evil spirit returning to revengeRead MoreDivine Love In The Inferno1232 Words   |  5 PagesIn Dante’s masterwork, The Divine Comedy, Dante traverse through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. He is lead through the inferno b y the ancient poet Virgil, and while Virgil is still present as a guide through Purgatory, there is a defined shift in his role. Through Inferno, he is without a doubt a knowledgeable guide, whilst in Purgatorio, Virgil walks behind Dante and often relies on the souls ascending Mount Purgatory to help led the way. Dante uses this shift, and the allegorical representationRead MoreLife After Death1127 Words   |  5 Pagespeople, death is a redoubtable event because they do not know what to expect after their death. However, other persons, such as religious people are conscious of what to expect after their death because of their beliefs. Each religion has different ideas and different ways of looking life. Death, therefore, is viewed by different religions in many ways. Although, different religions have a distinct conception of death, they all have something in common: they all give hope to people. Among all differentRead MoreThe Divine Comedy By Dante Alighieri873 Words   |  4 Pagesdied. It is considered one of the greatest works of world literature. He wrote â€Å"The Divine Comedy† while he was exiled from Florence, Italy (Bishops 182). â€Å"The Divine Comedy† recounts Dante’s idea of the afterlife. It is written in a first person perspective and follows Dante’s journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. At the time Dante wrote the Divine Comedy, Italy was going through a political struggle between two groups. Dante used the conversations with souls so he could express his own politicalRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Hamlet Religion And The Self851 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet-Religion and The Self in 1600 In 1600 Europe had abandoned the ideas and teachings of Catholic Christianity and began having a Protestant view on the world. When Protestants changed their worldview they rejected the idea of purgatory, causing a key foundation of their new religion. The Protestant Worldview and reaction of it can be reflected in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In this time of religious and spiritual changes many people are very confused which can be closely related to PrinceRead MoreHamlet And The Ghost By William Shakespeare1671 Words   |  7 Pagestell him something. His decision could be based off of religion and what he believes. Protestants believe that all ghosts are evil and come in the form of the devil. However, Catholics believe that ghosts are forms of spirits that are trapped in purgatory. Hamlet’s relationship with the ghost was that it was his father and not the devil. Most of the first act Hamlet is focused on determining whether the Ghost of Hamlet’s father is good or evil. Hamlet is the most uncertain out of everyone; he doesRead MoreA Devoted Christian Essay1644 Words   |  7 Pagesbelieve in Separate Soul, feel that after death, the soul leaves the body and goes to Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. Christians who believe in Bodily Resurrection think that after death, the whole body will be raised, just as Jesus was. I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will live even thought he dies. This Bible quotation from John 11:25 supports the idea that traditionally, Christians assumed that the resurrection would be physical. However