The Formation of Hell: Death and Retribution in the Ancient and Early Christian Worlds Hardcover - 1993
by Alan E. Bernstein
From the rear cover
What becomes of the wicked? Hell - exile from God, subjection to fire, worms, and darkness - for centuries the idea has shaped the dread of malefactors, the solace of victims, and the deterrence of believers. Although we may associate the notion of hell with Christian beliefs, its gradual emergence depended on conflicting notions that pervaded the Mediterranean world more than a millennium before the birth of Christ: Asking just why and how belief in hell arose, Alan E. Bernstein takes us back to those times and offers us a comparative view of the philosophy, poetry, folklore, myth, and theology of that formative age. Bernstein draws on sources from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and Israel, as well as early Christian writings through Augustine, in order to reconstruct the story of the prophets, priests, poets, and charismatic leaders who fashioned concepts of hell from an array of perspectives on death and justice. The author traces hell's formation through close readings of works including the epics of Homer and Virgil, the satires of Lucian, the dialogues of Plato and Plutarch, the legends of Enoch, the confessions of the Psalms, the prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, and the parables of Jesus. Re-enacting lively debates about the nature of hell which were argued among the common people and the elites of diverse religious traditions, he provides new insight into the social implications and the psychological consequences of different visions of the afterlife.
Details
- Title The Formation of Hell: Death and Retribution in the Ancient and Early Christian Worlds
- Author Alan E. Bernstein
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition First Edition
- Pages 408
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
- Date 1993-11-02
- Features Bibliography
- ISBN 9780801428937 / 0801428939
- Weight 1.6 lbs (0.73 kg)
- Dimensions 9.54 x 6.49 x 1.38 in (24.23 x 16.48 x 3.51 cm)
- Ages 18 to UP years
- Grade levels 13 - UP
- Reading level 1290
-
Themes
- Religious Orientation: Christian
- Theometrics: Academic
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 93008308
- Dewey Decimal Code 291.23
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