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OK, time for another school assignment... | by Asfrith | 2002-07-22 05:08:29 |
| Some info |
by slacktime |
2006-11-19 12:55:59 |
As best as can be determined;
Prior to and during the time of Christ, the popular view of the afterlife was as depicted in the "Book of Enoch" which has some interesting parallels to Dante.
See one English translation version here. (Vision of punishments begins about chapter 22. This book was not cannonical as best as I have been able to read, but it was popular and extent at that time. The jewish faith did not polarize the afterlife as does most Christian views, but rather proclaimed that punishments as well as rewards were given by God, therefore, in a sense, Gehenna (or hell) was a part of the lower reaches of heaven. The local garbage area was used as an allusion to the suffering of Hell by Christ.
Sometime during the early middle ages the idea that the devil had managed to gain control of Hell became popular, possibly because the idea that a good, loving, merciful God wouldn't inflict eternal pain and suffering... This was reinforced by Dante, and Dante's Inferno is possibly the best you'll do in visualizing the middle ages vision of hell.
In expanding Christianity, many localized nordic myths mixed into Chrisianity as it spread northward and "Cold as hell" became a common, yet seemingly contradictory term.
With the reformers came changes as well. Generally speaking purgatory was dropped (Purgatory was added with the polarization of heaven and hell between God and the Devil and it was hard to reconcile the idea that light sinners and innocents (like unbaptized children) received equal punishment with heavy sinners.) The views of the divisions between who goes to heaven and who goes to hell still differs widely among the different protestant churches, but generally, gradations of Hell, like Dante's version, and pergatory have been dropped, and the burning hell is for those who sin and do not accept Christ, and Heaven is for those who do profess Him and try to live Christlike lives.
Hope this helps some. - Ed |
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