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Hell / How to Avoid Hell
The eminent French theologian, Fr. F. X. Schouppe, SJ., author of Purgatory—Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints, has written here a similar-type book, though much smaller, on the subject of Hell. Whereas he does review the basic Catholic doctrine on Hell, in this book he mainly recounts numerous true stories that reinforce belief in Hell and the eternity of its horrors. These stories are frightening—how could they be otherwise—and they are obviously intended to be by the writer. For his purpose is to awaken in his readers a profound realization of the reality of Hell and to create in them a firm purpose of mind and heart not to go there. To the many who are not motivated to be good by the love of God, the fear of Hell is a legitimate and usually efficacious and salutary motive—especially so when one considers Hell as exemplified in these true stories.
Because this edition of Hell is expanded, with a new preface, three new appendices, and a Part II, called How to Avoid Hell, by Thomas A. Nelson, the impact of the book is much stronger than that of the original, which was written over 100 years ago, and which, nonetheless, is here printed complete and unabridged.
The ultimate purpose of this book is, not to scare people, but to help them avoid damnation by reminding them of the reality and eternity of Hell and its incomprehensible sufferings and to demonstrate most forcefully that it is the certain fate of unrepentant mortal sinners to go there. Hell and How to Avoid Hell in combination in this one volume form a profoundly moving, fast-paced, thorough and overpowering presentation of Hell and how to avoid it that is destined to quicken many in their faith, to bring others back to God, and to help people find salvation.
Because this edition of Hell is expanded, with a new preface, three new appendices, and a Part II, called How to Avoid Hell, by Thomas A. Nelson, the impact of the book is much stronger than that of the original, which was written over 100 years ago, and which, nonetheless, is here printed complete and unabridged.
The ultimate purpose of this book is, not to scare people, but to help them avoid damnation by reminding them of the reality and eternity of Hell and its incomprehensible sufferings and to demonstrate most forcefully that it is the certain fate of unrepentant mortal sinners to go there. Hell and How to Avoid Hell in combination in this one volume form a profoundly moving, fast-paced, thorough and overpowering presentation of Hell and how to avoid it that is destined to quicken many in their faith, to bring others back to God, and to help people find salvation.
488 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
5 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
F.X. Schouppe
16 books14 followersFather François Xavier Schouppe, S.J. was an eminent theologian of the nineteenth century.
Abbé François-Xavier Schnuppe (1824-1904), fils d'agriculteur, fit ses études au collège d'Alost (Rhétorique 1841). Entré dans la Compagnie en 1841, professeur de dogmatique au scolasticat de Louvain (1856-1863), puis au séminaire de Liège (1863-1871) où il est aussi chargé du cours d’Ecriture Sainte. Il enseigne la religion à Saint-Michel (1871-1888) où il public de nombreux ouvrages religieux. Il part enseigner la théologie au Grand Séminaire de Kurséong, puis il sera directeur spirituel du Grand Séminaire de Darjeeling (Hymalaya).
Abbé François-Xavier Schnuppe (1824-1904), fils d'agriculteur, fit ses études au collège d'Alost (Rhétorique 1841). Entré dans la Compagnie en 1841, professeur de dogmatique au scolasticat de Louvain (1856-1863), puis au séminaire de Liège (1863-1871) où il est aussi chargé du cours d’Ecriture Sainte. Il enseigne la religion à Saint-Michel (1871-1888) où il public de nombreux ouvrages religieux. Il part enseigner la théologie au Grand Séminaire de Kurséong, puis il sera directeur spirituel du Grand Séminaire de Darjeeling (Hymalaya).
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 13, 2023
I love the insane 'oh you suckers think you're not gonna burn? GUESS AGAIN' energy of late nineteenth century Catholics, riding on top of the world after centuries of global conquest. Truly insane megalomaniac shit.
July 16, 2023
The first part of this book entitled Hell, the Dogma of Hell is mostly a collection of accounts of people coming back from the dead to exclaim that they are in Hell, or that Hell is real. This was the best part of this book, because it gives the reader a fear of God's judgement.
The second part of this book entitled How to Avoid Hell consisted of an explanation of sin by going through The Ten Commandments, The Seven Deadly Sins, and common mortal sins, followed by the explanation of the Catholic Church, that Christ founded it, and that it is important for everyone to join. The book also spoke of heresies, including Protestantism and Modernism. Under the common mortal sins, he wrote that passionate kissing is a mortal sin. I was doubtful that this was true and after reading more of the book, he stressed how important it is to find out if an act is sinful through the Catholic Church, so I spoke with my Priest and he confirmed that passionate kissing is in fact a mortal sin. So, I will be confessing for all the times I did that in the past in my next Confession. Other than that, this book strengthened what I already knew about sin and how to avoid Hell.
I highly recommend this book for everyone to read.
The second part of this book entitled How to Avoid Hell consisted of an explanation of sin by going through The Ten Commandments, The Seven Deadly Sins, and common mortal sins, followed by the explanation of the Catholic Church, that Christ founded it, and that it is important for everyone to join. The book also spoke of heresies, including Protestantism and Modernism. Under the common mortal sins, he wrote that passionate kissing is a mortal sin. I was doubtful that this was true and after reading more of the book, he stressed how important it is to find out if an act is sinful through the Catholic Church, so I spoke with my Priest and he confirmed that passionate kissing is in fact a mortal sin. So, I will be confessing for all the times I did that in the past in my next Confession. Other than that, this book strengthened what I already knew about sin and how to avoid Hell.
I highly recommend this book for everyone to read.
October 8, 2013
This is a really powerful book. Very intense, but the subject matter calls it to be so. It's definitely causing me to grow as a Catholic.
November 27, 2013
Believe it, or don't. The stories are unembellished and even if only 10% are true, there is good reason to live an upright life and avoid the fires of hell. Eternity is too long to be wrong.
April 26, 2011
I have had this book for a while and have read parts of it before finally going all the way through it for a recent radio show I was writing on the subject. I found it a cogent and interesting book, far from the efforts of scare literature, which I abhor because it is as useless as confrontation is to psychology. Further it explains several passages or stories in new ways, which, even as a seminary graduate, I had never considered before.
This book, given its title, is certainly difficult to accept at face value, but given that prayer and the Holy Spirit are your guide rather than simply the leftover empiricism of the Enlightenment and the broken secularism of the modern age, I recommend this book highly for both its intelligence and honest concern for our lives, even if some of us don't completely agree with everything it has to say.
This book, given its title, is certainly difficult to accept at face value, but given that prayer and the Holy Spirit are your guide rather than simply the leftover empiricism of the Enlightenment and the broken secularism of the modern age, I recommend this book highly for both its intelligence and honest concern for our lives, even if some of us don't completely agree with everything it has to say.
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February 13, 2019This a very strong and powerful book and serious catholic should be aware.
June 30, 2021
The first part of this book, by Fr. Schouppe, is a collection of stories in relation to Hell and is a worthy complement to his book on Purgatory.
The second part of this book is a lay catechism by Thomas A. Nelson and should not be attached. It's muddled with the confusion of those who consider Vatican II and its postconciliar religion to be Catholicism, when it is merely a fraud.
Get the edition that doesn't have the Thomas A. Nelson addendum. If you get this edition, stop reading at p. 126.
And somebody tell him that "plus" is not a like-for-like substitute for the word "and" in modern English (or the English of any period outside of TikTok).
"And there is no Hell because you do not believe in it? Will Hell exist any the less because you do not please to believe in it?" (p. 3)
"The Romans punished parricides by a special kind of torture. The guilty person was tied up in a sack with serpents, and thus cast into the depth of the sea; a feeble image of the torture reserved for those who are guilty of parricide toward God." (p. 68)
(from St. Bonaventure) "If the body of a damned person...were deposited on the earth, that of itself alone would be sufficient to make the earth uninhabitable; it would fill it with its infection, as a corpse that might be left to rot in a house would infect it all the way through." (p. 69)
"Now, as the punishment could not be infinite in its intensity, justice demands that it be so at least in its duration." (p. 73)
The second part of this book is a lay catechism by Thomas A. Nelson and should not be attached. It's muddled with the confusion of those who consider Vatican II and its postconciliar religion to be Catholicism, when it is merely a fraud.
Get the edition that doesn't have the Thomas A. Nelson addendum. If you get this edition, stop reading at p. 126.
And somebody tell him that "plus" is not a like-for-like substitute for the word "and" in modern English (or the English of any period outside of TikTok).
"And there is no Hell because you do not believe in it? Will Hell exist any the less because you do not please to believe in it?" (p. 3)
"The Romans punished parricides by a special kind of torture. The guilty person was tied up in a sack with serpents, and thus cast into the depth of the sea; a feeble image of the torture reserved for those who are guilty of parricide toward God." (p. 68)
(from St. Bonaventure) "If the body of a damned person...were deposited on the earth, that of itself alone would be sufficient to make the earth uninhabitable; it would fill it with its infection, as a corpse that might be left to rot in a house would infect it all the way through." (p. 69)
"Now, as the punishment could not be infinite in its intensity, justice demands that it be so at least in its duration." (p. 73)
March 13, 2019
Memento Mori!
As a person with a strong theological background, I do appreciate this book. However, I think that the author was taking the images of hell far too literally and using them to scare people.
It is important to note that this book was written well before Vatican II- therefore, some may see it as outdated. The Church officially teaches as hell as eternal separation from God- and not as a place of fire and brimstone- as re-affirmed by St. John Paul II.
This book has helped me grow spiritually as a Catholic and would only recommend those who have a deep understanding of what the Church teaches to read it.
As a person with a strong theological background, I do appreciate this book. However, I think that the author was taking the images of hell far too literally and using them to scare people.
It is important to note that this book was written well before Vatican II- therefore, some may see it as outdated. The Church officially teaches as hell as eternal separation from God- and not as a place of fire and brimstone- as re-affirmed by St. John Paul II.
This book has helped me grow spiritually as a Catholic and would only recommend those who have a deep understanding of what the Church teaches to read it.
February 10, 2019
Intense book formed of short stories from people who had experienced or seen hell.
“Whoever thinks of Hell will not fall into it because in the time of temptation this thought will retain him in his duty.”
“Whoever thinks of Hell will not fall into it because in the time of temptation this thought will retain him in his duty.”
December 23, 2022
Great book. Worth reflecting on.
May 20, 2016
Hell is real. It's theologically interesting and of salvific import to study and meritorious to remind oneself of the stark reality of eternal separation from God.
Want to read
September 27, 2025Patrick Madrid - He says it's quite sobering. Was a kick in the pants for his sister when she was a young adult.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 21, 2018Always must read again!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews