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Four Views on Hell: Second Edition
In recent times, the unified Christian doctrine of hell has sparked much What happens after death? Do we ascend to heaven or descend into hell? Or do we simply cease to exist? Are we saved or damned? 'Four Views on Second Edition' delves into this critical topic, featuring four prominent scholars who explore and debate differing perspectives on eternal judgment. Each contributor presents a unique theological Denny Burk advocates for Eternal Conscious Torment, John G. Stackhouse presents Annihilationism, Robin Parry argues for Universalism, and Jerry Walls supports Purgatory. Preston Sprinkle wraps up the volume by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each view, encouraging readers to engage with these diverse perspectives.
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March 24, 2026
This updated version was worthwhile. John Stott has made Annihilationism (terminal punishment) a possibility that all evangelicals must consider. All the views used Scripture extensively which is very important to me. I was surprised to find the fourth view to be purgatory since that would more appropriately be included in a book about heaven rather than hell since within the definition of purgatory no one goes from there to hell. That said, the section on purgatory was interesting although obviously lacking in support from Scripture since there is little to none.
February 18, 2026
A NEW VERSION OF THE 1996 ‘FOUR VIEWS ON HELL’ BOOK
Editor Preston Sprinkle wrote in the Introduction to this 2016 book, “Christians are more than ever questioning a traditional view of hell… Theologians and writers such as Karl Barth, C.S. Lewis, John Stott, and N.T. Wright all believe in hell but their descriptions don’t match what many Christians have believed… This new Counterpoints book contributes to this rapidly growing debate about the nature of hell. It serves to replace the previous edition… This new volume brings in a new set of authors who will espouse fresh insights that build on the flurry of recent books and discussions about the nature of hell…
“There have been three main developments over the last twenty years that have cultivated a need for this new Counterpoints book. First, the annihilation view of hell has grown in popularity among evangelicals… Second, Christian universalism is gaining ground as well… Third, an ecumenical spirit is growing among evangelicals…. Protestants are exploring views that are traditionally considered Catholic, and vice-versa. Purgatory…. Is becoming a theological option among evangelicals…” (Pg. 9-10)
Denny Burk (Eternal Conscious Torment View) states, “the question of eternal conscious torment really comes down to who God is. Is God the kind of God for whom this kind of punishment for sin would be necessary? Or is he not? What does the Bible say about God and the judgments that issue forth from him? The aim of this essay will be to answer these questions and to argue that the Bible teaches eternal conscious torment in a place called hell as the lot of every person who dies in an unrepentant state. All those who fail to experience saving faith while they are alive in this age will be resurrected and condemned when Christ returns. Then they will be cast into hell where they will suffer never-ending punishment. This view of God’s judgment … will ultimately become a source of joy and praise for the saints as they witness the infinite goodness and justice of God.” (Pg. 20)
John Stackhouse responds to Burk, “Burk starts by taking swipes at his theological counterparts for being ‘emotional’---as if emotions are not conveyors of information that theologians … ought to pay attention to. Why DOES this formulation of doctrine repel me? Why DOES this view of God horrify me? Perhaps it is because … those are ‘sanctified’ feelings, or even just good basic human feelings remaining of the ‘imago dei’, that are warning me that I am on the wrong theological path.” (Pg. 44)
He continues, “The immediate problem here… is that Burk shows precisely nowhere in the Bible where a single passage in which this argument is actually made. Nowhere in Scripture does any biblical author say, ‘Because God is infinitely great, sin against God is infinitely bad and therefore entails infinite punishment.’ I suggest that it is Burk who is guided by his emotions and intuitions expressed deductively and that the actual data of Scripture are entirely against him when freed from the interpretative presupposition he brings to it from reasoning such as this.” (Pg. 45)
Jerry Walls responds to Burk, “I believe the doctrine of hell is morally indefensible, given theological determinism. I am wondering whether Burk… believes God is glorified by choosing some for salvation and passing over the rest who … are consigned to reprobation. Does he believe God is glorified in giving irresistible grace to some, while damning others who are not given such grace, and who consequently cannot do other than sin and disobey God?” (Pg. 57)
John Stackhouse states the Annihilationist (‘Terminal Punishment’/’Conditional Immortality’) view: “I shall outline and defend… the view that hell is the situation in which those who do not avail themselves of the atonement made by Jesus in his suffering and death must make their own atonement by suffering and then death, separated from the sustaining life of God and thus disappearing from the cosmos. And I will contend that this view best takes into account these two poles of God’s goodness… My more central affirmation, however, is that ‘terminal punishment’ is the view of hell most fully warranted by Scripture.” (Pg. 61-62)
He notes, “In the Old Testament there are ordinances, rituals and institutions described as ‘eternal’ (the Hebrew word is ‘olam’) but they clearly do not last forever… First Kings 8:6, 12-13 describes the inauguration of Solomon’s Temple… Solomon said… ‘I have built you… a place for you [God] to dwell in forever.’ Proud as Solomon must have been… he was wise enough to realize that no human building could last forever. We need to allow for the hyperbole on such occasions…” (Pg. 66-67) He continues, “Psalm after psalm and proverb after proverb reiterate the same biblical teaching… The wicked eventually and inevitably come to the same end: They will vanish from the face of the earth… Sodom and Gomorrah are clearly the paradigm cases of destruction. These entire cities are, literally, killed by God, and nothing remains of them except the smoke of their burning.” (Pg. 70)
He argues, “One might fairly ask whether Revelation 14:11’s depiction of the damned enjoying ‘no rest day or night’ implies that they… are forever conscious. But ‘rest’ in the Old Testament … carries positive connotations… particularly Sabbath as enjoying the presence of God forever in the Promised Land. Thus the condemned are doomed never to enjoy rest… we read, ‘Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.’ (Rev 20:14-15)… But it is impossible to imagine ‘Death and Hades’ suffering. The ‘second death’ means, ultimately, to disappear.” (Pg. 72-73)
Robin Parry presents the Universalist View: “Critical to most versions of universalism is the claim that it is possible to be saved AFTER one has died… What does the Bible say? Well, it does not DIRECTLY address the issue. There are no biblical texts that say death is a point of no return, but neither are there texts that unambiguously say that one can repent after death. Of course, some appeal to passages like Hebrews 9:27, but all this text claims is that all humans die once and then face judgment, and ALL sides of this debate will agree with THAT claim. To go further and insist that this judgment leads to irreversible punishment is to go beyond anything said in the text.” (Pg. 116)
He continues, “Furthermore, if we believe that Scripture teaches BOTH that all people will be saved AND that some people go to hell---and it does seem to teach both---then it is arguable that we can legitimately infer that those in hell will be saved out of hell.” (Pg. 117)
He states, “the imagery of fire and worms is drawn from … Isaiah 66:24… we must be very careful how we interpret this imagery. That the fire will not be quenched and the worms will not die need mean no more than that the fire and the worms will be unceasingly and unstoppably active until they have finished their work. One does not need to postulate eternal torment in hell by everlasting fire and worms to make sense of this image.” (Pg. 118-119)
Jerry Walls (Purgatorial View) explains, “whether the image is that of purifying or healing, purgatory in this sense is about a forward-looking process of perfecting that which is imperfect. Understood in these terms, the essential purpose of purgatory is finishing the work of sanctification. It is about purifying our hearts completely so we fully achieve that holiness without which no man can see the Lord. When the doctrine of purgatory began to emerge and take shape, the primary emphasis was on sanctification. However, there was also another element… This other element was the idea that purgatory is about satisfaction, which is the idea of undergoing punishment to satisfy the justice of God.” (Pg. 149-150)
He acknowledges, “where is the biblical support for the doctrine? The forthright answer … is that there is little explicit biblical support for the doctrine. However, the doctrine of purgatory can rightly be considered biblical in the broader sense that it is a natural implication of things that are clearly taught in Scripture.” (Pg. 152)
This book will be “must reading” for Christians seriously studying such issues.
Editor Preston Sprinkle wrote in the Introduction to this 2016 book, “Christians are more than ever questioning a traditional view of hell… Theologians and writers such as Karl Barth, C.S. Lewis, John Stott, and N.T. Wright all believe in hell but their descriptions don’t match what many Christians have believed… This new Counterpoints book contributes to this rapidly growing debate about the nature of hell. It serves to replace the previous edition… This new volume brings in a new set of authors who will espouse fresh insights that build on the flurry of recent books and discussions about the nature of hell…
“There have been three main developments over the last twenty years that have cultivated a need for this new Counterpoints book. First, the annihilation view of hell has grown in popularity among evangelicals… Second, Christian universalism is gaining ground as well… Third, an ecumenical spirit is growing among evangelicals…. Protestants are exploring views that are traditionally considered Catholic, and vice-versa. Purgatory…. Is becoming a theological option among evangelicals…” (Pg. 9-10)
Denny Burk (Eternal Conscious Torment View) states, “the question of eternal conscious torment really comes down to who God is. Is God the kind of God for whom this kind of punishment for sin would be necessary? Or is he not? What does the Bible say about God and the judgments that issue forth from him? The aim of this essay will be to answer these questions and to argue that the Bible teaches eternal conscious torment in a place called hell as the lot of every person who dies in an unrepentant state. All those who fail to experience saving faith while they are alive in this age will be resurrected and condemned when Christ returns. Then they will be cast into hell where they will suffer never-ending punishment. This view of God’s judgment … will ultimately become a source of joy and praise for the saints as they witness the infinite goodness and justice of God.” (Pg. 20)
John Stackhouse responds to Burk, “Burk starts by taking swipes at his theological counterparts for being ‘emotional’---as if emotions are not conveyors of information that theologians … ought to pay attention to. Why DOES this formulation of doctrine repel me? Why DOES this view of God horrify me? Perhaps it is because … those are ‘sanctified’ feelings, or even just good basic human feelings remaining of the ‘imago dei’, that are warning me that I am on the wrong theological path.” (Pg. 44)
He continues, “The immediate problem here… is that Burk shows precisely nowhere in the Bible where a single passage in which this argument is actually made. Nowhere in Scripture does any biblical author say, ‘Because God is infinitely great, sin against God is infinitely bad and therefore entails infinite punishment.’ I suggest that it is Burk who is guided by his emotions and intuitions expressed deductively and that the actual data of Scripture are entirely against him when freed from the interpretative presupposition he brings to it from reasoning such as this.” (Pg. 45)
Jerry Walls responds to Burk, “I believe the doctrine of hell is morally indefensible, given theological determinism. I am wondering whether Burk… believes God is glorified by choosing some for salvation and passing over the rest who … are consigned to reprobation. Does he believe God is glorified in giving irresistible grace to some, while damning others who are not given such grace, and who consequently cannot do other than sin and disobey God?” (Pg. 57)
John Stackhouse states the Annihilationist (‘Terminal Punishment’/’Conditional Immortality’) view: “I shall outline and defend… the view that hell is the situation in which those who do not avail themselves of the atonement made by Jesus in his suffering and death must make their own atonement by suffering and then death, separated from the sustaining life of God and thus disappearing from the cosmos. And I will contend that this view best takes into account these two poles of God’s goodness… My more central affirmation, however, is that ‘terminal punishment’ is the view of hell most fully warranted by Scripture.” (Pg. 61-62)
He notes, “In the Old Testament there are ordinances, rituals and institutions described as ‘eternal’ (the Hebrew word is ‘olam’) but they clearly do not last forever… First Kings 8:6, 12-13 describes the inauguration of Solomon’s Temple… Solomon said… ‘I have built you… a place for you [God] to dwell in forever.’ Proud as Solomon must have been… he was wise enough to realize that no human building could last forever. We need to allow for the hyperbole on such occasions…” (Pg. 66-67) He continues, “Psalm after psalm and proverb after proverb reiterate the same biblical teaching… The wicked eventually and inevitably come to the same end: They will vanish from the face of the earth… Sodom and Gomorrah are clearly the paradigm cases of destruction. These entire cities are, literally, killed by God, and nothing remains of them except the smoke of their burning.” (Pg. 70)
He argues, “One might fairly ask whether Revelation 14:11’s depiction of the damned enjoying ‘no rest day or night’ implies that they… are forever conscious. But ‘rest’ in the Old Testament … carries positive connotations… particularly Sabbath as enjoying the presence of God forever in the Promised Land. Thus the condemned are doomed never to enjoy rest… we read, ‘Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.’ (Rev 20:14-15)… But it is impossible to imagine ‘Death and Hades’ suffering. The ‘second death’ means, ultimately, to disappear.” (Pg. 72-73)
Robin Parry presents the Universalist View: “Critical to most versions of universalism is the claim that it is possible to be saved AFTER one has died… What does the Bible say? Well, it does not DIRECTLY address the issue. There are no biblical texts that say death is a point of no return, but neither are there texts that unambiguously say that one can repent after death. Of course, some appeal to passages like Hebrews 9:27, but all this text claims is that all humans die once and then face judgment, and ALL sides of this debate will agree with THAT claim. To go further and insist that this judgment leads to irreversible punishment is to go beyond anything said in the text.” (Pg. 116)
He continues, “Furthermore, if we believe that Scripture teaches BOTH that all people will be saved AND that some people go to hell---and it does seem to teach both---then it is arguable that we can legitimately infer that those in hell will be saved out of hell.” (Pg. 117)
He states, “the imagery of fire and worms is drawn from … Isaiah 66:24… we must be very careful how we interpret this imagery. That the fire will not be quenched and the worms will not die need mean no more than that the fire and the worms will be unceasingly and unstoppably active until they have finished their work. One does not need to postulate eternal torment in hell by everlasting fire and worms to make sense of this image.” (Pg. 118-119)
Jerry Walls (Purgatorial View) explains, “whether the image is that of purifying or healing, purgatory in this sense is about a forward-looking process of perfecting that which is imperfect. Understood in these terms, the essential purpose of purgatory is finishing the work of sanctification. It is about purifying our hearts completely so we fully achieve that holiness without which no man can see the Lord. When the doctrine of purgatory began to emerge and take shape, the primary emphasis was on sanctification. However, there was also another element… This other element was the idea that purgatory is about satisfaction, which is the idea of undergoing punishment to satisfy the justice of God.” (Pg. 149-150)
He acknowledges, “where is the biblical support for the doctrine? The forthright answer … is that there is little explicit biblical support for the doctrine. However, the doctrine of purgatory can rightly be considered biblical in the broader sense that it is a natural implication of things that are clearly taught in Scripture.” (Pg. 152)
This book will be “must reading” for Christians seriously studying such issues.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews