Most evangelical Christians believe that those people who are not saved before they die will be punished in hell forever. But is this what the Bible truly teaches? Do Christians need to rethink their understanding of hell? In the late twentieth century, a growing number of evangelical theologians, biblical scholars, and philosophers began to reject the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell in favor of a minority theological perspective called conditional immortality. This view contends that the unsaved are resurrected to face divine judgment, just as Christians have always believed, but due to the fact that immortality is only given to those who are in Christ, the unsaved do not exist forever in hell. Instead, they face the punishment of the "second death"--an end to their conscious existence. This volume brings together excerpts from a variety of well-respected evangelical thinkers, including John Stott, John Wenham, and E. Earl Ellis, as they articulate the biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments for conditionalism. These readings will give thoughtful Christians strong evidence that there are indeed compelling reasons for rethinking hell.

Most evangelical Christians believe that those people who are not saved before they die will be punished in hell forever. But is this what the Bible truly teaches? Do Christians need to rethink their understanding of hell? In the late twentieth century, a growing number of evangelical theologians, biblical scholars, and philosophers began to reject the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell in favor of a minority theological perspective called conditional immortality. This view contends that the unsaved are resurrected to face divine judgment, just as Christians have always believed, but due to the fact that immortality is only given to those who are in Christ, the unsaved do not exist forever in hell. Instead, they face the punishment of the "second death"--an end to their conscious existence. This volume brings together excerpts from a variety of well-respected evangelical thinkers, including John Stott, John Wenham, and E. Earle Ellis, as they articulate the biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments for conditionalism. These readings will give thoughtful Christians strong evidence that there are indeed compelling reasons for rethinking hell. Peter S. Grice - Igniting an Evangelical Conversation Glenn A. Peoples - Introduction to Evangelical Conditionalism Edward W. Fudge - The Final End of the Wicked Stephen H. Travis - The Nature of Final Destiny John R. W. Stott - Judgment and Hell Clark H. Pinnock - The Destruction of the Finally Impenitent John W. Wenham - The Case for Conditional Immortality Basil F. C. Atkinson - The Doom of the Lost E. Earle Ellis - New Testament Teaching on Hell Ralph G. Bowles - Does Revelation 14:11 Teach Eternal Torment? Harold E. Guillebaud - The General Trend of Bible Teaching Anthony C. Thiselton - Claims about "Hell" and Wrath Philip E. Hughes - Is the Soul Immortal? Henry Constable - Divine Justice Christopher D. Marshall - Divine and Human Punishment in the New Testament Nigel G. Wright - A Kinder, Gentler Damnation? Richard G. Swinburne - The Future of the Totally Corrupt Kim G. Papaioannou - The Development of Gehenna Between the Old and New Testaments LeRoy E. Froom - Conditionalism in the Early Church Evangelical Alliance - Hell and Evangelical Unity Roger E. Olson - Diverse Christian Beliefs About Life Beyond Death Ben Witherington III - Equally Orthodox Christians

Many Christians believe that people who are not saved before they die will be punished in hell forever. But is this what the Bible truly teaches? Do Christians need to rethink their understanding of hell? In the late twentieth century, a growing number of theologians, biblical scholars, and philosophers began to reject the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell in favour of a minority theological perspective called conditional immortality. This view contends that the unsaved are resurrected to face divine judgment, just as Christians have always believed. However, due to the fact that immortality is only given to those who are in Christ, the unsaved do not exist forever in hell. Instead, they face the punishment of the 'second death' -an end to their conscious existence. This volume brings together excerpts from a variety of well-respected evangelical thinkers, including John Stott, John Wenham, and E. Earle Ellis, as they articulate the biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments for conditionalism. These readings will give thoughtful Christians strong evidence that there are indeed compelling reasons for rethinking hell.

Seventy percent of Americans believe in hell, as do 92 percent of those who attend church every week. In her candid and inviting style, Baker explores and ultimately refutes many traditional views of hell.

Like many other people, the long tradition about hell has been a source of serious confusion and distress for me. Over the past six years or so I was relieved to discover two other alternatives that are also part of the Christian tradition, though less prominent--universalism and the subject of the present book, conditional immortality. Universalism--that everyone would eventually be saved--did not, in the final analysis, seem to really come to grips with the overwhelming scriptural testimony that some kind of radical fateful decision is possible to people. Conditional immortality--that people who absolutely refuse God's plan for them will be taken out of existence--seems to me the best scriptural understanding of what the Lord meant by "losing one's soul"--not everlasting punishment but the withdrawal of existence. This book is an attempt to explain this theological theory. It is not presented as a definite dogma or teaching of the church, but as one of the possible results of a persistent and irrevocable decision against God.

Addressing a variety of views on hell, the Bible, and the character of God, offers an eloquent response to the recent media storm surrounding questions of eternal destiny.

Today, hell is a front-burner topic, thanks to media attention stirred by megapastors Rob Bell, Francis Chan, and others. But, between the extremes of universal salvation and everlasting torment, a third view known as conditional immortality, claims the most biblical support of all.