Coming to Terms

Five key phrases in the hell debate.

1. Eternal conscious physical and spiritual torment.

The damned in hell will suffer in body and soul forever. Advocates: John Blanchard, Donald Carson, Ajith Fernando, John Gerstner, Robert Morey, J. I. Packer, David Pawson, and Robert Peterson.

2. Eternal conscious spiritual torment.

The unsaved will suffer spiritual or psychological torment rather than physical torment.Advocates: Murray Harris, Anthony Hoekema, and Peter Toon.

3. Eternal separation from God.

This less specific way of talking about hell is relational, stressing the terrible fate of never-ending loss of communion with God.Advocates: Kendall Harmon, Peter Head, and Alec Motyer.

4. Conditional immortality.

Souls are not inherently immortal, but persons are granted immortality by God when they are justified. In contrast, the unsaved do not receive the gift of immortality and ultimately will cease to exist.Advocates: Robert Brow, Earle Ellis, Edward Fudge, Michael Green, Clark Pinnock, John Wenham, and Nigel Wright.

5. Annihilationism.

The final extinction of the wicked. Evangelicals who propound annihilationism usually do so from a conditionalist foundation. Consequently, The Nature of Hell uses the term conditionalism to denote belief in both conditional immortality and the ultimate annihilation of the lost.—Summarized from The Nature of Hell

Related Elsewhere

Be sure to read the related stories to this sidebar, ” Undying Worm, Unquenchable Fire | Will unbelievers endure eternal torment or will they be annihilated? An assessment of the Evangelical Alliance’s The Nature of Hell” and ” Rightly Dividing the Hell Debate | Key Advocates and Writings.”

Copyright © 2000 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

Undying Worm, Unquenchable Fire: What is hell—eternal torment or annihilation? A look at the Evangelical Alliance's The Nature of Hell.

Cover Story

Undying Worm, Unquenchable Fire

Robert A. Peterson

Biotech: Tissue of Lies?

Denyse O'Leary

Is the Stock Market Good Stewardship?

Raymond Albrektson

Camus the Christian?

James W. Sire

Machiavelli Marooned

Robert Pyne

The Back Page | Philip Yancey: Getting a Life

Gwen Shamblin in the Balance

John W. Kennedy with additional reporting by Todd Starnes

SBC Funding Imperiled

Updates

School Vouchers Face Tight Races

Mark Kellner

Briefs: North America

Quotations to Contemplate

Fire and Ice

Debra Fieguth

Vatican: Protestants Not 'Sister Churches'

Luigi Sandri, Cedric Pulford and Edmund Doogue

Smack Down

Tony Carnes

Colombia: Abducted Pastor Pays His Own Ransom on Installment Plan

Deann Alford

Briefs: The World

Nigeria: Will Shari'a Law Curb Christianity?

Obed Minchakpu

North Korea: 7 Christian Executions Suspected

Compass Direct

Ecuador: Word and Spirit Together

Kenneth MacHarg

Grunge Boomers in Concert

Sheryl Blunt

Good News for Witches

Lauren F. Winner

Rightly Dividing the Hell Debate

Free to Be Creatures Again

Jennifer L. Bayne and Sarah E. Hinlicky

Beyond Self-Help Chatter

Big-Picture Faith

Love Your Heavenly Enemy

Miroslav Volf

The Transcendental Gore

Tony Carnes

More Than a Badge and a Gun

Wendy Murray Zoba

Lessons From Two Sides of AIDS

Corrie Cutrer

Shelly Wift's Tips for Witnessing to Witches

A Wicca Primer

Reporting at the Speed of Cyberspace

Editorial

Honest Ecumenism

A Christianity Today Editorial

Scouts in a Jam?

A Christianity Today Editorial

The Fallacy of Missile Defense

Darryl Brown and Tricia Gates Brown

The Perils of Harry Potter

Jacqui Komschlies

In the Word: The Grim Shepherd

Haddon Robinson

Your World: Unrighteous Indignation

View issue

Our Latest

News

Died: John M. Perkins, Who Lived and Preached Racial Reconciliation

The civil rights leader believed in a gospel bigger than race or self-interest.

Review

Decoding the Supreme Court

Three books to read this month on politics and public life.

The Bulletin

Cost of Iran War, Quiet Southern Border, and Anglican Church Split

Mike Cosper, Clarissa Moll, Russell Moore

The financial and moral toll of war, immigration slows but ministry continues, and why denominations split.

The Year of the Evangelical

America prepared for a bicentennial, and religious identity dominated the presidential campaign.

Q&A: Eric Mason on Ministering to Men and Witnessing in Politics

Interview by Benjamin Watson

The Philadelphia-based pastor discusses how the church can engage Black men and have a biblical approach to government.

Review

‘The Secret Agent’ Explores Memory and Authoritarianism in Brazil

Mariana Albuquerque

The Oscar-nominated film reminds viewers to learn from the past—and to share our stories with the next generation.

Jan Karon Looks Back on 89 Years of God’s Faithfulness

The author of the Mitford Years series married at 14, protested segregation, and wrote her first book at 57.

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

Michel Lusakueno: Why the World Can’t Ignore Congo

Exploring the sobering connection between modern convenience and human suffering.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastprintRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube