Beliefs about hell Flashcards
How did Dante describe hell?
9 circles:
start with limbo - people who do not have guilt but do not have baptism + faith
about 7th circle - city of Dis - place where fires start, where heretics are + violence
ultimately down to pit - treason punished.
Heretics burnt, corrupt popes having feet burnt. Grove of suicides - not allowed to have a body - did not show respect for body in life - entombed in trees, monsters peck trees, pilgrims snap branches off trees. Will never be able to have bodies back even after resurrection of body - bodies hung on trees.
Pit - 3 faced satan - 3 mouths each chewing on awful person. Satan entombed in ice, hairy, monstrous, bat wings + crying.
What did Dante believe about punishment in hell?
Punishment fits crime e.g:
fortune teller - head twisted backwards so can only look behind + and have to walk backwards forever.
Flatterer - covered in filth.
Thieves - stealthy so in pit of snakes, whenever bitten, body falls into ashes, reconstituted, repeats forever. Committed suicide - hung from trees.
Lustful - swept around in winds - couldn’t control passions, now can’t control themselves
How are the creatures of hell presented and how is this shown in the architecture of cathedrals?
surreal creatures inflicting punishment e.g. goblins in architecture of cathedrals
How many hells are there in Buddhism?
10
What did Homer and Virgil believe about hell?
a place you can go to and return from a wiser person for it
Why did the Egyptians not have much need to be afraid of hell?
could avoid being eaten by Amut (crocodile-hippopotomous creature) using bribes etc
Who ruled over the Greek hell?
Pluto or Hades
What was the purpose of hell according to the Greeks?
Morality lesson - can go there and come back a wiser person
why did those following Chinese religion not have much need to be afraid of hell?
if follow rules + have bribes etc don’t go to hell - no one really went to hell
Why did Christ descend into hell after crucifixion?
Christ = gateway to salvation - visits those who were born before him, particularly prophets, patriarchs + Adam + Eve - those people saved.
How did St Agustine describe hell?
‘in hell there is torment beyond our imagining’
When did the idea of hell become more central to Christianity?
in about 4th Century AD
Does all of the Christian Church focus on hell?
no - only Western Church. Eastern Orthodox Church - no depictions of torture, focus on salvation.
What apocalyptic literature has influenced the Western church?
apocalypse of Paul - 1st thoughrough explanation of hell, claimed to have been found in floorboards of Paul’s house, almost got into Bible.
What in Judaism suggests that God is not merciful enough?
Moses taken down into hell - pleads with God to be more merciful.
Who in Christianity believed that god should be more compassionate?
Paul
How does God respond to Paul wanting him to be more compassionate?
Said no one in hell would be tortured on Sundays
How does God respond to Moses wanting him to be more merciful?
Said no one in hell would be tortured on the sabbath
What did Bosh believed happened in hell?
perpetual suffering
How did Militon (Protestant) describe descent down into hell?
no guide
disorientated
initially looks traditional - furnace or fire + darkness
hear Satan speak
What does Milton believe Satan will say to those who have fallen when they reach hell?
‘if thou beest he who hath fallen…what of the few who’ll be lost, not all is lost, the unconquerable will the study of revenge, immortal hate and courage never to submit or yield’
Where does the origin of hell being a fiery place come from and why?
Jewish tradition of hell - Ghena - named after valley outside Jerusalem where Molek, one of the great Pagan kings use to sacrifice children - abominable place - became rubbish dump - rubbish burnt to get rid of it - always fire there
What did Zaroastrian tradition see hell as being like + why?
ice - people had to live through ice age - fear cold
What did William Blake believe about hell?
ideas of hell = a world we have created ourselves by misunderstanding the love of God - cannot believe God would not forgive.
Hell = world now that we have made - place where forgiveness = denied by state + by us.
