Discussion Points: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

Scholarship: Heaven & Hell

There are scholarly debates over whether heaven and hell are eternal. Scholars also debate whether heaven is the transformation and perfection of the whole of creation.

Arguments for an eternal hell

The Parable of the Sheep and Goats seems to imply that hell is eternal.
- 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire.'
In the Biblical story of the rich man and Lazarus, there is no chance for the rich man to escape hell.
- The rich man even asks Abraham to send a message to his friends and family to warn them to not make the same mistakes and end up in hell.

Arguments against an eternal hell

The idea that hell is eternal seems totally against the idea that God is omnibenevolent.
- Would a loving God really send someone to hell for all of eternity which no chance of being redeemed or saved?
- If hell is eternal, does this not defeat the purpose of Jesus’ death on the cross which brought salvation for humanity?

Eternal heaven

Bernard Williams wondered whether an eternity in heaven would really be desirable.
- Surely, however pleasurable heaven was at the beginning, it would become boring after a while?
However, people may respond to Williams and say God would make sure that this (boredom) did not happen.
- Perhaps we might miraculously never be bored, just as we would never be sad and we would never suffer.

Heaven as the perfection of creation

The Book of Revelation describes visions of the end of time, in a dreamlike, symbolic way.
The writer records his religious experiences in which the end of the world is revealed to him by God.
John writes:
- 'Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea' (Revelation 21:1, New International Version).
Others believe that the transformation and perfection of creation is underway. They see it as the role of Christians in the world today.

Scholarship: Purgatory

There are debates over whether purgatory is a state everyone goes through, or if purgatory even exists.

Arguments for purgatory

The Catholic Church teaches that those who die in a state of grace but are impure do not immediately go to heaven.
Instead, they go to purgatory. In purgatory, they can undergo a period of purification and continued change.
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to this directly in The Final Purification, or Purgatory.

Quotes in support of purgatory

‘All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.' (The Final Purification, or Purgatory 1030)
'The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent.' (The Final Purification, or Purgatory 1031)

Other arguments for purgatory

John Hick is a liberal theologian who saw value in the idea of purgatory as hell could not be part of a loving God’s plan.
- If God is supposed to be omnibenevolent, don't we all deserve a chance of redemption?
This is part of the reason why Catholics have Masses for the dead.
- At Masses, Catholics pray for the souls of the deceased, so that they are cleansed of sin and can enter heaven.

Arguments against purgatory

The Catholic Church points to certain passages in the Bible in support of the idea of purgatory.
- An example is I Corinthians 3: 12-15.
But, many Protestants think that there is not enough Biblical evidence for purgatory.
Most Bible passages about the afterlife talk about ending up in either heaven or hell.
- Examples include the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

Protestants against purgatory

Protestants reject purgatory on the grounds that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was enough to save people from hell.
- People will be granted access to heaven provided they accepted Jesus was, ‘The way, the truth and the life’.

Indulgences

The possibility of living people helping the dead pass through purgatory gave rise to the selling of 'indulgences' in the Middle Ages.
- Some corrupt clergy said living individuals could 'buy' the forgiveness of their relative's sins.
Martin Luther rejected the selling of indulgences in the 16^th century.
He also rejected teachings about purgatory, arguing that there was no biblical support for the idea.
- Luther believed that the doctrine of purgatory undermined the biblical teaching of God's saving grace through faith.

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.1.1Plato's Understanding of Reality

1.1.2Plato's Theory of Forms

1.1.3Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.4The Purpose of Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.5Evaluation of Plato's Theories

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.2.1Aristotle's Understanding of Reality

1.2.2Aristotle's Four Causes

1.2.3Aristotle's Prime Mover

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.3.1Plato & Aristotle's Views of the Soul

1.3.2Metaphysics of Consciousness

1.3.3Materialism - Ryle’s Philosophical Behaviourism

1.3.4Materialism - Identity Theory

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.4.1The Teleological Argument - Aquinas' Fifth Way

1.4.2The Teleological Argument - Paley & Evolution

1.4.3The Cosmological Argument

1.4.4Hume's Criticisms: Teleological & Cosmological

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.5.1The Ontological Argument

1.5.2Criticisms of the Ontological Argument

1.6Religious Experience

1.6.1Introduction to Religious Experience

1.6.2Mystical Experience

1.6.3Conversion Experience

1.6.4Understanding Religious Experience

1.6.5Issues Relating to Religious Experience - Validity

1.6.6Issues Relating to Religious Experiences - People

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.7.1Presentations of the Problems of Evil

1.7.2Discussion Points -

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.8.1Omnipotence

1.8.2Omniscience

1.8.3Boethius - Divine Knowledge, Free Will & Eternity

1.8.4(Omni)benevolence

1.8.5Eternity & Free Will

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.9.1Apophatic & Cataphatic Way

1.9.2Symbol

1.9.3Discussion Points: Religious Language

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

1.10.1Logical Positivism & Verification Principle

1.10.2Wittgenstein

1.10.3Falsification Symposium: Flew & Hare

1.10.4Falsification Symposium: Mitchell

1.10.5Discussion Points: Verification & Falsification

1.10.6Discussion Points: Aquinas vs Wittgenstein

2Religion & Ethics

2.1Natural Law

2.1.1St Thomas Aquinas - Telos & Four Tiers of Law

2.1.2St Thomas Aquinas - Precepts

2.1.3St Thomas Aquinas - Real & Apparent Goods

2.1.4Discussion Points - Natural Law & Doing Good

2.1.5Discussion Points - Telos & Double Effect Doctrine

2.2Situation Ethics

2.2.1Fletcher's Situation Ethics

2.2.2Fletcher's Concept of Conscience

2.2.3Discussion Points: Moral Decision-Making

2.2.4Discussion Points - Agape

2.3Kantian Ethics

2.3.1Introduction to Kantian Ethics & Duty

2.3.2Hypothetical & Categorical Imperative

2.3.3Summum Bonum & Three Postulates

2.3.4Discussion Points: Kantian Ethics

2.4Utilitarianism

2.4.1The Utility Principle

2.4.2Act & Rule Utilitarianism

2.4.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism

2.5Euthanasia

2.5.1Key Concepts for Euthanasia Debates

2.5.2Discussion Points: Natural Law & Situation Ethics

2.5.3Discussion Points: Sanctity of Life

2.5.4Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention

2.6Business Ethics

2.6.1Corporate Social Responsibility & Whistle-Blowing

2.6.2Good Ethics & Globalisation

2.6.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism & Kantian Ethics

2.6.4Discussion Points: CSR, Globalisation & Capitalism

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.1.1Human Nature

3.1.2Original Sin & God's Grace

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.2.1Heaven, Hell, & Purgatory

3.2.2Different Interpretations of the Afterlife

3.2.3Election

3.2.4The Final Judgement

3.2.5Discussion Points: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.3.1Natural Knowledge

3.3.2Revealed Knowledge in Faith, Grace, & Jesus Christ

3.3.3Revealed Knowledge in the Bible & Church

3.3.4Discussion Points: Reason & Belief in God

3.3.5Discussion Points: The Fall & Trust in God

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.4.1Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God

3.4.2Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Teacher of Wisdom

3.4.3Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Liberator

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.5.1The Bible & Love

3.5.2Bible, Church & Reason

3.5.3Discussion Points: Christian Ethics

3.5.4Discussion Points: Love & the Bible

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.6.1Dietrich Bonhoeffer & the Confessing Church

3.6.2Bonhoeffer & Civil Disobedience

3.6.3Bonhoeffer's Teaching on Ethics as Action

3.6.4Discussion Points: Civil Disobedience & Bonhoeffer

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.7.1Pluralism & Theology: Exclusivism & Inclusivism

3.7.2Pluralism & Theology: Pluralism

3.7.3Discussion Points: Salvation

3.7.4Discussion Points: Pluralism Undermining Beliefs

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.8.1Development of Multi-Faith Societies

3.8.2Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue

3.8.3The Scriptural Reasoning Movement

3.8.4Discussion Points: Social Cohesion & Scripture

3.8.5Discussion Points: Conversion

3.9Gender & Society

3.9.1Waves of Feminism

3.9.2Traditional Christian Views on Gender Roles

3.9.3Christian Views on Gender Roles & Family

3.9.4Discussion Points: Secular Views of Gender

3.9.5Discussion Points: Motherhood & Family

3.10Gender & Theology

3.10.1Rosemary Radford Ruether

3.10.2Mary Daly

3.10.3Discussion Points: Ruether & Daly

3.10.4Discussion Points: Male Saviour & Female God

3.11Challenges

3.11.1Secularism - Sigmund Freud

3.11.2Secularism - Richard Dawkins

3.11.3Christianity & Public Life

3.11.4Discussion Points: Spiritual Values

3.11.5Discussion Points: Social Values & Opportunities

3.11.6Karl Marx

3.11.7Liberation Theology

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