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William V. Crockett
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Four Views on Hell (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) Kindle Edition

by Zondervan (Author), William Crockett (Editor), John F. Walvoord (Contributor), Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 118 ratings

Most contemporary Christians acknowledge the doctrine of hell, but they’d rather not think about how God punishes the wicked. The authors of Four Views on Hell meet this subject head-on with different views on what the Scriptures say. Is hell to be understood literally as a place of eternal smoke and flames? Or are such images simply metaphors for a real but different form of punishment? Is there such a thing as “conditional immortality,” in which God annihilates the souls of the wicked rather than punishing them endlessly? Is there a Purgatory, and if so, how does it fit into the picture? The interactive Counterpoints forum allows the reader to see the four views on hell—literal, metaphorical, conditional, and purgatorial—in interaction with each other. Each view in turn is presented, critiqued, and defended. This evenhanded approach is ideal for comparing and contrasting views in order to form a personal conclusion about one of Christianity’s key doctrines. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0310872375
  2. Publisher
    Zondervan Academic
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    July 8, 2010
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    380 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

What do the Scriptures say hell is? John Walvoord argues that it is a literal place of smoke and flames. William Crockett defends a metaphorical view, punishment but not necessarily literal fire. Clark Pinnock presents conditional immortality - punishment but not forever. And Zachary Hayes explains the concept of purgatory.

From the Back Cover

Most contemporary Christians acknowledge the doctrine of hell, but they'd rather not think about how God punishes the wicked. The authors of Four Views on Hell meet this subject head-on with different views on what the Scriptures say. Is hell to be understood literally as a place of eternal smoke and flames? Or are such images simply metaphors for a real but different form of punishment? Is there such a thing as 'conditional immortality, ' in which God annihilates the souls of the wicked rather than punishing them endlessly? Is there a Purgatory, and if so, how does it fit into the picture? The interactive Counterpoints forum allows the reader to see the four views on hell---literal, metaphorical, conditional, and purgatorial---in interaction with each other. Each view in turn is presented, critiqued, and defended. This evenhanded approach is ideal for comparing and contrasting views in order to form a personal conclusion about one of Christianity's key doctrines. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003TFE8RO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zondervan Academic
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 8, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 380 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 356 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0310872375
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 118 ratings

About the author

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William V. Crockett

William V. Crockett

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William V. Crockett is a writer, scholar, and professor in New York. A graduate of University of Winnipeg, Princeton Theological Seminary, and University of Glasgow (Ph.D.), he has lectured and written extensively on theological issues. With his expertise in classical antiquity, Crockett is making his mark as a novelist. His two novels, Worlds Apart and A Celt in Rome are set in the second century Roman Empire. He lives with his wife, Karen, in rustic Sussex County, New Jersey, where he is hard at work on a modern thriller, The Apocalypse Gene, set at Yale University.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
118 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers appreciate the book's writing quality, describing it as well written and thoughtful. They find it very useful, with one customer highlighting its incisive awareness of scriptural contents.

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13 customers mention "Understanding"13 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's theological approach, with one noting its incisive awareness of scripture and another highlighting its thoughtful views from different perspectives.

"...have read other works by Pinnock, and find his style and openness to discovery refreshing and encouraging...." Read more

"...It's a sobering read regardless of your POV. One thing is for sure, whatever hell is I don't want to go there...." Read more

"...minor issue, I found Four Views on Hell to be one of the better books on this theology and would recommend it very highly." Read more

"...Without technical language, this book cites enough verses and sources for anyone seeking further research on the controversial but critical topic of..." Read more

8 customers mention "Knowledge"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very useful and helpful.

"...background provided by each of these authors in their articles is very helpful to provide a perspective on the variety of views of afterlife,..." Read more

"This is a great book for those interested in a general understaning of the four primary views on hell: literal, metaphorical, purgatorial, and..." Read more

"...Overall, the book is not bad, if a bit narrow." Read more

"...Otherwise, this book was very informative, intriguing, and an interesting read for someone who is looking to gain more insight on the topic." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, describing it as well written and thoughtful, with one customer noting it is a sound reading for those serious about the subject.

"...Pinnock is a thoughtful writer, who has an incisive awareness of the contents of scripture...." Read more

"...through this book, but I can say that this is sound reading for anyone serious about the subject. It's a sobering read regardless of your POV...." Read more

"...of Dallas Theological Seminary for 34 years and is a prolific dispensational writer...." Read more

"...is similar to other contributions in this series - generally solid writing, but within an excessively narrow scope...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Orville B. Jenkins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Rethinking Hell
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    I picked up this volume on one of my international trips from South Africa. I got this book on a trip to Euless, Texas, (Dallas area) in 2007, while there for an international conference related to my cultural research work.

    This book is a volume in the series Counterpoints: Exploring Theology. Crockett is the Series Editor. The historical background provided by each of these authors in their articles is very helpful to provide a perspective on the variety of views of afterlife, judgement and punishment in the history of the Christian tradition.

    Catholic and Protestant
    This book is notable in that it includes one noted Roman Catholic scholar, Zachary Hayes, among the expected Protestant scholars. I found Hayes' essay very helpful in understanding the Catholic concept of Purgatory. His historical analysis and theological construction of the doctrine from that historical base were helpful to understand how this doctrine developed.

    Hayes is very well-read in Protestant theology and terminology and adds a refreshing dimension to this dialogue. Each author gives a response to each of the other authors' essay.

    Dialogue
    This dialogue format has been used in other recent topic series by publishers and is a very effective way for the reader to see the differences and similarities of views and easily understand some of the major options seen by various thinkers or schools of thought.

    In this set of ideas, I found the most creative and thoughtful to be Pinnock and Hayes. Walvoord is more cautious and stays close to his Reformed roots, while Pinnock enjoys the adventure of exploration. I was not familiar with Crockett before reading this, but was impressed with his thinking. I will leave the details for you to discover, so won't detail the specifics of their views here.

    Pinnock is a thoughtful writer, who has an incisive awareness of the contents of scripture. I have read other works by Pinnock, and find his style and openness to discovery refreshing and encouraging. Pinnock is more of a theologian, cautious of the way we use reason and aware of the role of assumptions.

    Scripture
    There are some differences between the authors on how they treat scripture or how they understand it to be authoritative. The discussion takes into account the historical perspectives, which will help the less initiated reader see the cultural aspects of this question.

    This is not your stock Sunday School rehash of medieval syncretism of Celtic or Germanic cultural myths that is so commonly passed off as Christian and even biblical in popular Christianity. In considering possibilities about punishment or accountability for moral decisions, these thinkers likewise do not simply toss around simplistic rule-breaking concepts of sin and punishment.

    I was glad to see how seriously they took the questions of moral responsibility and justice or fairness in considering the reasonableness of possibilities. You will find this stimulating.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sha
    4.0 out of 5 stars Read it and form your own opinion
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I'm still working my way through this book, but I can say that this is sound reading for anyone serious about the subject. It's a sobering read regardless of your POV. One thing is for sure, whatever hell is I don't want to go there. I lean towards the traditional view, even if we find it hard to understand for many reasons. I reject the annihilation view in that I believe man has an eternal spirit/soul. I soundly reject the idea of purgatory or X-years in hell and then release simply because such a view is entirely against everything the scriptures teach about salvation. The bible teaches that is impossible for man to save himself either through good deeds or through punishment. Nothing we can do, or suffer, will ever take away the stain of the inborn sin nature except receiving via faith what God in flesh - Christ - has done for us. Therefore the purgatory, X-years then free, view of hell is blasphemy. The point at which I waiver is the allegorical - not because I believe there is any falsehood or lies in scripture, but because there is so much we don't understand. But, as one author in the book puts it - allegorical or not, hell is still horrendous, i.e. emotional suffering would be as horrendous as physical suffering in this view. No escape from the horror of hell in this view. Read it and form your own opinions, but if you consider yourself a Christian, please do it based on what the scriptures teach rather than what makes you feel warm and fuzzy.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • David C. Leaumont
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of major stances on the theology of hell
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    In multiple view books, there are often some design flaws. Whether they are because a major viewpoint is left out, or one or more of the authors is not considered as prominent as others in the book, thus putting their argument at a disadvantage, the books are often tilted one way or another. Four Views on Hell avoids most of these flaws.

    John Walvoord was the president of Dallas Theological Seminary for 34 years and is a prolific dispensational writer. William Crockett is a retired Anglican minister and is Professor Emeritus of Vancouver School of Theology. Friar Zachary Hayes studied under Pope Benedict XVI and currently teaches at Catholic Theological in Chicago. Clark Pinnock is a noted evangelical author supporting open theism and is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at McMaster Divinity College.

    The four viewpoints discussed include the Literal View by Dr. Walvoord, the Metaphorical View by Dr. Crockett, the Purgatorial View by Friar Hayes, and the Conditional View by Dr. Pinnock.

    The Literal View is well designed discussing many philosophical issues while keeping Scripture and exegetical processes at the forefront of the argument. He states that of the hundreds of prophesies fulfilled in Scripture, the vast majority are literally fulfilled, and thus hell should be taken to be an eternal fiery existence.

    The Metaphorical View takes a hard look at Scripture's apocalyptic writing and sees much figurative language. He says the Bible contradicts itself if the verbiage on hell is taken literally. Thus, he contends that it must be understood metaphorically.

    The Purgatorial View bases the argument on tradition and states that Scripture was the seed in which God intended theology to grow. Hence, while he concedes purgatory has no real Scriptural support, that it is the rational outcropping based on theological development.

    The Conditional View is the viewpoint of Annihilationism from an Evangelical stance. This is based mostly on philosophy and a dissatisfaction with the conflict between God's infinite mercy and love with eternal torment.

    Of these four views, I found the Literal and Metaphorical views to be most convincing. The reason is that they stayed closer to the Bible and to Paul's teaching to not go beyond what is written. In my opinion, basing theology on tradition which contradicts itself frequently, and philosophy which changes rapidly, are contrary to my belief. Although, I do think the viewpoints from these two persuasions I disagree with are put forth exceedingly well and they make a good case for their arguments.

    Overall, you will be hard-pressed to find the four viewpoints on hell put into writing in one place with such ability. The views I did not agree with made me think, and I felt the cases I did agree with were put forth with very good support.

    My only critique would be with some of the critiques. I found a couple of the critques to be difficult because they either missed the mark (leaving out major aspects that needed critiquing), they were too harsh in their wording, or they claimed something wasn't covered in the main article when it was.

    Despite this minor issue, I found Four Views on Hell to be one of the better books on this theology and would recommend it very highly.
    7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • David R. Lingwood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent book:
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  • James A. McMinn
    5.0 out of 5 stars 4 views of hell
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I would recommend this book to all thinking Christians. Most of us have never realised that there are more than one view. Read it with an open mind. Prepared to be considered a heretic !
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  • Maverick
    4.0 out of 5 stars If it was written today, the universalist view would be included
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Clark Pinnock's contribution (annihilationism/conditional immortality) is worth the price alone. This book was put together in the mid-1990's, and the annihilationist position has since become far more widely accepted among evangelicals. The flak that Clark Pinnock, John Stott, and others have taken regarding this biblically-viable and conservative position is disgraceful. Many pastors today are closet annihilationists and even universalists, but still can't come out for fear of their congregations. It always takes a while longer for people in the pews to come away from their cherished traditions.

    John Walvoord, while no doubt holding to a high view of Scripture, strikes me as somewhat naive and in his literalistic approach to the subject. This was simply not the way the Bible was meant to be read. William Crockett's metaphorical view is an improvement, but there's the worrying hint that the reality of hell - of which the symbols point to - may be even more sadistic than Walvoord's version. Whatever happened to prophetic hyperbole? Zachary Hayes writes about purgatory rather than hell from a Roman Catholic perspective - and Pinnock is right to comment positively on his essay, embracing the possibility of purgatory as an opportunity for maturation and growth. When you think about it, those who have a problem with purgatory have a problem with sanctification itself.

    Significantly, when Jesus warned his disciples about Gehenna (hell), he immediately went on to say that everyone will be salted with fire (Mark 9:49). This verse passes under the radar of most evangelicals when it comes to their understanding of hell. If the book were written today, the universal reconciliation view would also be included.
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  • Robert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent discussion on the subject. This is how good books should be. Perspectives from every direction so that the intelligent reader can critically think and then make up their mind.
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  • Marius Buzokas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Thank you :)
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