In this video, Ben Watkins of Real Atheology presents some of his thoughts on the problem of hell and I offer a response as a Christian theologian. We agree about some things, disagree about others. But through it all we seek to model irenic and rigorous conversation and a search for mutual understanding.
eschatology
Hellbound? Reflections on the Christian Doctrine of Damnation in Dialogue with the Korean Show
In this video, I consider the depiction of damnation in the new Korean Netflix show “Hellbound?” in which people await their fate to be dragged to hell and I bring that depiction into dialogue with the Christian doctrine of damnation. ?
Jesus and Sodom and Gomorrah
A reader emailed me a question about how Jesus viewed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: “when it comes to sodom and Gomorrah it seems that Jesus affirms this event as literal in Matthew 11:23 and Luke 17:29. But if this is the case it seems as if Jesus is affirming genocide of a large […]
The Damned as Freemen on the Land
Over the last while, I have encountered many atheists who object to the doctrine of annihilationism according to which God eventually withdraws life posthumously from those who refuse to submit to be in relationship with God and restored creation. I understand objections to eternal conscious torment, but objections to punishment simpliciter (and this annihilationist account […]
A Conversation on Christian Views of the Afterlife with Apostate Prophet
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Heaven, Hell, and Much In-Between: An Interview
Raised to Die Again? And Other Fiery Debates
The other day, I received an invitation from Chris Date to appear on his YouTube program Rethinking Hell. I knew Chris Date from the time he handed Al Mohler his lunch on Unbelievable. Chris’s only weakness was that he knew too much about the topic and was trying to pack nine points into every thirty-second segment. […]
Is the misery of hell self-imposed?
C.S. Lewis famously said the gates of hell are locked on the inside, and many people think this idea that the misery and suffering of hell are self-imposed somehow lessens the moral problems with the doctrine. But does it? In this fantastic video with atrocious production values, I suggest otherwise.
The Top Three Worst Reasons to Reject Universalism
If an atheist says they don’t think hell will be so bad, what do you say in reply?
Why would God send people to hell?
My Tribute to My Father
My dad died on April 3, 2019. Ten days later on April 13, we held the memorial service, and I was honored to take part. This is important to me, not simply because I loved my dad and I grieve his passing but because I value others thinking about life and death from the perspective […]
Responding to a half-baked objection to hell
This morning I tweeted a link to an article I wrote on the complexity of salvation: “If God wants us to be saved, why isn’t salvation simple?” This prompted a response from a gentleman on Twitter named David Reilly. Reilly believed that this fact constitutes an objection to Christian faith. I argued to the contrary […]
Will there be sex in heaven?
I recently received an emailed question asking whether there will be sexual intercourse in the new heavens and new earth. While I have never undertaken a systematic study of the question, the standard response among theologians has been no. But why? So far as I can see, one can attribute this response to the following […]
