Beliefs about hell

Question 1

How did Dante describe hell?

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

What did Dante believe about punishment in hell?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

How are the creatures of hell presented and how is this shown in the architecture of cathedrals?

Answer 3

surreal creatures inflicting punishment e.g. goblins in architecture of cathedrals

Question 4

How many hells are there in Buddhism?

Answer 4

10

Question 5

What did Homer and Virgil believe about hell?

Answer 5

a place you can go to and return from a wiser person for it

Question 6

Why did the Egyptians not have much need to be afraid of hell?

Answer 6

could avoid being eaten by Amut (crocodile-hippopotomous creature) using bribes etc

Question 7

Who ruled over the Greek hell?

Answer 7

Pluto or Hades

Question 8

What was the purpose of hell according to the Greeks?

Answer 8

Morality lesson - can go there and come back a wiser person

Question 9

why did those following Chinese religion not have much need to be afraid of hell?

Answer 9

if follow rules + have bribes etc don’t go to hell - no one really went to hell

Question 10

Why did Christ descend into hell after crucifixion?

Answer 10

Christ = gateway to salvation - visits those who were born before him, particularly prophets, patriarchs + Adam + Eve - those people saved.

Question 11

How did St Agustine describe hell?

Answer 11

‘in hell there is torment beyond our imagining’

Question 12

When did the idea of hell become more central to Christianity?

Answer 12

in about 4th Century AD

Question 13

Does all of the Christian Church focus on hell?

Answer 13

no - only Western Church. Eastern Orthodox Church - no depictions of torture, focus on salvation.

Question 14

What apocalyptic literature has influenced the Western church?

Answer 14

apocalypse of Paul - 1st thoughrough explanation of hell, claimed to have been found in floorboards of Paul’s house, almost got into Bible.

Question 15

What in Judaism suggests that God is not merciful enough?

Answer 15

Moses taken down into hell - pleads with God to be more merciful.

Question 16

Who in Christianity believed that god should be more compassionate?

Answer 16

Paul

Question 17

How does God respond to Paul wanting him to be more compassionate?

Answer 17

Said no one in hell would be tortured on Sundays

Question 18

How does God respond to Moses wanting him to be more merciful?

Answer 18

Said no one in hell would be tortured on the sabbath

Question 19

What did Bosh believed happened in hell?

Answer 19

perpetual suffering

Question 20

How did Militon (Protestant) describe descent down into hell?

Answer 20

no guide
disorientated
initially looks traditional - furnace or fire + darkness
hear Satan speak

Question 21

What does Milton believe Satan will say to those who have fallen when they reach hell?

Answer 21

‘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’

Question 22

Where does the origin of hell being a fiery place come from and why?

Answer 22

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

Question 23

What did Zaroastrian tradition see hell as being like + why?

Answer 23

ice - people had to live through ice age - fear cold

Question 24

What did William Blake believe about hell?

Answer 24

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.