Christians have not always agreed on the nature, duration, and purpose of hell. The table below offers a brief comparison of five major views and is based on lecture notes by Dr. Rick Griffith.
Comparison of Five Views
| View | Universalism | Annihilationism | Purgatory | Metaphorical | Literal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who's Saved? | All | Some | Some | Some | Some |
| Who's Tormented? | Some (old view), None (new view) | Some | Some | Some | Some |
| Literal, Bodily Suffering? | Yes (old view), No (new view) | Yes | Yes (but some say metaphorical) | No | Yes |
| Salvation After Suffering? | Yes (old view), N/A (new view) | No | Possible | No | No |
| Purpose of Suffering? | Redemption | Punishment | Redemption | Punishment | Punishment |
| State Fixed at Death? | No (old view), Yes (new view) | Yes | No for those with venial sins | Yes | Yes |
| Hell Eternal? | No (it's non-existent) | No (it's temporal) | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Soul Eternal? | Yes | Believers only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Theological Persuasion | Liberals & Mormons | Anglicans, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, & "Evangelicals" | Catholics & Eastern Orthodox | Evangelicals & Moderates | Evangelicals Only |
| Advocates | Wm. Barclay, Karl Barth, G. B. Caird, John Hick, John Robinson | Clark Pinnock, Basil Atkinson, F. F. Bruce, LeRoy E. Froom, Edward Fudge, H. Guillebaud, Philip Hughes, John R. W. Stott, John Wenham | Z. Hayes, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Gregory the Great, L. Berkhof, C. Pinnock | Wm. Crockett, C. S. Lewis, John Calvin, D. A. Carson, M. Erickson, Billy Graham, Donald Guthrie, K. Kantzer, Leon Morris, J. I. Packer, R. A. Peterson, Herman Hoyt | J. F. Walvoord, J. Ankerburg, L. Boettner, Harry Buis, John Gerstner, R. Griffith, W. Grudem, R. Gundry, Murray Harris, W. Hendriksen, A. Hoekema, William Lane, Robert Morey, Arthur Pink, W. T. G. Shedd |
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Author
Leonardo A. Costa
A researcher and writer exploring dispensationalism from a progressive perspective, with a deep appreciation for the tradition's heritage.
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