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Hell: A Guide (Answers to All Your Questions about the Devil
“The best book on hell ever written”. - Dr. Eastman, founding member and president, America’s National Prayer Committee
Anthony DeStefano, the bestselling author of A Travel Guide to Heaven, takes us on an exploration of hell, the devil, demons, and evil itself. Written with clarity, logic, and vivid storytelling, A Guide takes up questions such
Is hell a place or a state of being?What does hell look like?What kind of suffering do people in hell experience?What are the devil and demons really like?Rooted in solid, orthodox Christian scholarship, this one-of-a-kind book investigates everything there is to know about one of the most fascinating, yet often misunderstood, subjects of all time.
Anthony DeStefano, the bestselling author of A Travel Guide to Heaven, takes us on an exploration of hell, the devil, demons, and evil itself. Written with clarity, logic, and vivid storytelling, A Guide takes up questions such
Is hell a place or a state of being?What does hell look like?What kind of suffering do people in hell experience?What are the devil and demons really like?Rooted in solid, orthodox Christian scholarship, this one-of-a-kind book investigates everything there is to know about one of the most fascinating, yet often misunderstood, subjects of all time.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2020
55 people are currently reading
1389 people want to read
About the author
Anthony DeStefano
24 books76 followersAnthony DeStefano is the bestselling author of 20 Christian books for children and adults, including: A Travel Guide to Heaven, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, Angels All Around Us, Little Star, and The Donkey that No One Could Ride. He has received many prestigious awards from religious organizations worldwide for his efforts to advance Christian beliefs in modern culture.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 22, 2020
This does not sound like the title of a very happy book, nor a travel guide to a place I would ever care to visit. So why read it? Well for one thing, I read DeStefano’s A Travel Guide to Heaven years ago and loved it. I remember literally falling in love with his description of our Eternal Reward. So when I read he had written about its opposite, I couldn’t help wondering, was there really that much to say about Hell? Also, why another guide? Yet, my curiosity was certainly piqued. That is the advantage of reading after all, you can go wherever you like without leaving the comfort and safety of your own living room—or wherever you prefer to read. And when it comes to a place like Hell, this is certainly the only way to go.
A small material temporal investment for HUGE endless, lasting, eternal Savings is how it seems to me.
A quick glance inside the Table of Contents revealed what’s on the Infernal Itinerary.
For starters, DeStefano asks and answers the question: ‘Why would anyone want a guide to Hell?’
Because evil exists and is all around us, even inside us, and there are no words to adequately describe how unbelievably vicious, violent, twisted, and abominable it can be. And while not wanting to overemphasize the importance of environment so much that we deny the existence of evil, we also don’t want to lose sight of the fact that circumstantial factors do have the ability to hide evil, i.e., before you go congratulating yourself, booklady, on what a ‘good’ person you are and that there is no chance you could end up in Hell, remember what a cushy life you have always had AND also, the limited opportunities you have had to acquire much power, money, fame, or any of the other things which are so easy to abuse and therefore so easily lead to grievous sin. Oh, and give thanks that you were born into a time, place and family where you learned all about sin, suffering, Jesus, His Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection for your soul. And on and on and on.
The bottom line is: Evil is in all of us and Hell is possible for anyone. I simply mention myself as an example of someone who believes in the existence of Hell, does NOT want to go there, and certainly fears doing anything which might result in that. Reading this book was a huge relief in that respect, because it is very clear that we do not get ‘judged’ by God in the more conventional sense of the word. Our own actions and choices ‘judge’ us. According to DeStefano, when we die, we see our lives in a flash. There is no more time for decisions, changing your mind or fixing mistakes. Our lives are done and laid before us, like a meal on plate. There will be no denying, pretending or ignoring. Every little petty, selfish, envious, lustful or hostile thought, word or deed will be there. So will the good things. For most, The Big Choice—Heaven or Hell, God or no God—will be already made, through a lifetime of little choices. But I digress from the itinerary… Sorry! Must be careful or you will not want me for a guide next time!
Chapter 1, the starting point of the trip, discusses what evil is, its prevalence throughout history right up to our present age with the current popular trend to deny evil, God, Heaven and Hell, etc., with the same people contributing most of the suffering in the world also denying there will be any consequences for their behaviors. Well that makes sense doesn’t it? Unfortunately, sticking your head in the sand, does not make everything else just ‘go away’.
Chapter 2 is about the Original Battle of Heaven, as much as can be known, when Lucifer opposed God’s plan for the world, non serviam, “I will not serve”! Here DeStefano explains the roles of the Angels (in assisting us) and the demons (in destroying us). Make no mistake. Satan and his followers are not cute little red-tailed guys with pointy ears who sit on your shoulder urging you to have another piece of cake or hit your snooze button just once more. Oh sure, they will certainly do that—for starters. Yet we must know for sure the demons HATE us with a Hatred we cannot even imagine. Why? Because they HATE God and they can’t do anything to Him, because He is God. (Well they did do everything they could to Jesus when He was on earth as we know.) So instead they take their hatred out on His children. As every good parent knows, the fastest, surest way to hurt the father or mother is to harm the child.
Chapter 3 is about the all crucial moment of death, when the fiercest battle of all takes place. This is the time when for us human beings the soul, i.e., the spiritual part of us, separates from the physical body. This is also when our ultimate destiny is determined, as I mentioned, by our own choice. God does not send us to Hell or even let us into Heaven. We either choose Him and His Will, Love and Mercy or we reject Him. Without being simply speculative, the author makes a very good case for what will probably happen to us at the moment of death. This was fascinating reading.
In Chapter 4, DeStefano takes a theological turn and gets into the discussion of how if God wills that all people be saved, how is it that many are not? How can human beings or angels override God’s will and choose hell? The answer is one of the great mysteries of Christianity and has to do with the subject of providence, i.e., that God created everything, knows everything, and is in charge of everything, yet He gives each of us free will to choose Him or not.
Chapter 5 and 6 answer a question many of us may have never thought to ask: how does a soul, a spiritual entity experience pain? If, as we just said, the soul separates from the body at death and the judgment is immediate, how will damned souls suffer in Hell during the time before they are reunited to their physical bodies at the Last Judgment? DeStefano describes a soul as, ‘… the immortal, immaterial part of a human being. It’s what gives a human being life. It’s the animating principle of the body. It is also the seat of the intellect and the will. In other words, the soul gives human beings the ability to reason and to choose.’ As such, though they cannot feel physical sensations any longer, they still possess the ability to experience pain and terror much like we do during the throes of a nightmare. I will forgo the book’s descriptions of this pain, which is indeed terrible—and yet not so terrible as it could be through the Mercy of God.
Chapter 7 is the Last Judgment, the public affirmation of everyone’s particular judgment. And if there is one thing the author emphasized it is that Hell is irrevocable and eternal. Because God is a merciless tyrant? Not at all. Because souls in Hell—like the fallen angels—have seen God and made their choice. In the hereafter, we are no longer the wishy-washy beings we are here. The Light of God will change us forever. It will confirm us in our Love for Him or our rejection of Him—the only two choices. The damned cannot bear to be in God’s presence, hence they flee from Him.
Chapter 8 is called the Monstrous Make-over. Body and soul are reunited. Here our journey reveals the pain that comes from having a hellish body. Christ used a horrific image to describe the suffering people in hell when he said, “Their worm does not die.” He was actually quoting the prophet Isaiah: “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” This would not have to be a literal ‘worm’, or even actual fire but anything which would eat away at or distort/disfigure the body.
Chapter 9 describes the terrain of Hell, what we can know and what is only speculative. Here, as throughout the book, I appreciated his honesty about the differences in the various traditions as well as all the open questions.
Chapters 10 through 12 describe the various activities in Hell: 1) Enslavement to demons; 2) Punishments to fit the crime; and 3) Relationships in the City of the Damned. As you can see, there is way too much to go into. You are just going to have to read the book and you really need to as your everlasting future depends on it. (This is just the guide to the guide.)
Chapter 13 is highly speculative. It is called, A Day in Hell, yet for that very reason I sort of liked it. It leaves the residents in eternal ‘time’ and actually gives them a measure of normalcy.
In the two concluding chapters, the author discusses the Evil one’s three pronged plan for filling up his realm. It’s actually quite simple which probably accounts for its chilling effectiveness:
1) First, atheism, which destroys the very possibility of repentance. Get them to stop believing in God, so there isn’t anyone to apologize to. Why say you’re sorry for committing a sin when no one is even listening?
2) Second, if that doesn’t work make them disbelieve in God’s mercy. This way of thinking and feeling is known as despair. Today, with so few going to Church, more and more broken homes, disconnected and estranged people and problems in our society, this tactic is very effective.
3) Finally, if both those methods fail, the devil will attempt to make someone a moral relativist, get them to believe there’s no such thing as objective truth. If there are no universal rights and wrongs, then we can each do whatever we think is right. You do your thing and I’ll do mine, okay? Well that’s fine until you mess with my kids or I don’t return something I ‘borrow’. That’s the problem with each of us ‘doing our own thing’. It’s not quite that simple.
The good news, of course, is that if we are reading the book—or you are reading my review—we are still ‘on tour’ and have not ‘arrived’. I don’t know about you, but I did not want to go here before I read this book and I want to go to Hell even less now that I have read about it. The difference is, the more I know about it, the more I want others to know about it, because I realize the great danger it presents to all of us. Yes, all of us.
Please, seriously consider reading this book. If not for yourself, then for someone you love!
A small material temporal investment for HUGE endless, lasting, eternal Savings is how it seems to me.
A quick glance inside the Table of Contents revealed what’s on the Infernal Itinerary.
For starters, DeStefano asks and answers the question: ‘Why would anyone want a guide to Hell?’
Because evil exists and is all around us, even inside us, and there are no words to adequately describe how unbelievably vicious, violent, twisted, and abominable it can be. And while not wanting to overemphasize the importance of environment so much that we deny the existence of evil, we also don’t want to lose sight of the fact that circumstantial factors do have the ability to hide evil, i.e., before you go congratulating yourself, booklady, on what a ‘good’ person you are and that there is no chance you could end up in Hell, remember what a cushy life you have always had AND also, the limited opportunities you have had to acquire much power, money, fame, or any of the other things which are so easy to abuse and therefore so easily lead to grievous sin. Oh, and give thanks that you were born into a time, place and family where you learned all about sin, suffering, Jesus, His Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection for your soul. And on and on and on.
The bottom line is: Evil is in all of us and Hell is possible for anyone. I simply mention myself as an example of someone who believes in the existence of Hell, does NOT want to go there, and certainly fears doing anything which might result in that. Reading this book was a huge relief in that respect, because it is very clear that we do not get ‘judged’ by God in the more conventional sense of the word. Our own actions and choices ‘judge’ us. According to DeStefano, when we die, we see our lives in a flash. There is no more time for decisions, changing your mind or fixing mistakes. Our lives are done and laid before us, like a meal on plate. There will be no denying, pretending or ignoring. Every little petty, selfish, envious, lustful or hostile thought, word or deed will be there. So will the good things. For most, The Big Choice—Heaven or Hell, God or no God—will be already made, through a lifetime of little choices. But I digress from the itinerary… Sorry! Must be careful or you will not want me for a guide next time!
Chapter 1, the starting point of the trip, discusses what evil is, its prevalence throughout history right up to our present age with the current popular trend to deny evil, God, Heaven and Hell, etc., with the same people contributing most of the suffering in the world also denying there will be any consequences for their behaviors. Well that makes sense doesn’t it? Unfortunately, sticking your head in the sand, does not make everything else just ‘go away’.
Chapter 2 is about the Original Battle of Heaven, as much as can be known, when Lucifer opposed God’s plan for the world, non serviam, “I will not serve”! Here DeStefano explains the roles of the Angels (in assisting us) and the demons (in destroying us). Make no mistake. Satan and his followers are not cute little red-tailed guys with pointy ears who sit on your shoulder urging you to have another piece of cake or hit your snooze button just once more. Oh sure, they will certainly do that—for starters. Yet we must know for sure the demons HATE us with a Hatred we cannot even imagine. Why? Because they HATE God and they can’t do anything to Him, because He is God. (Well they did do everything they could to Jesus when He was on earth as we know.) So instead they take their hatred out on His children. As every good parent knows, the fastest, surest way to hurt the father or mother is to harm the child.
Chapter 3 is about the all crucial moment of death, when the fiercest battle of all takes place. This is the time when for us human beings the soul, i.e., the spiritual part of us, separates from the physical body. This is also when our ultimate destiny is determined, as I mentioned, by our own choice. God does not send us to Hell or even let us into Heaven. We either choose Him and His Will, Love and Mercy or we reject Him. Without being simply speculative, the author makes a very good case for what will probably happen to us at the moment of death. This was fascinating reading.
In Chapter 4, DeStefano takes a theological turn and gets into the discussion of how if God wills that all people be saved, how is it that many are not? How can human beings or angels override God’s will and choose hell? The answer is one of the great mysteries of Christianity and has to do with the subject of providence, i.e., that God created everything, knows everything, and is in charge of everything, yet He gives each of us free will to choose Him or not.
Chapter 5 and 6 answer a question many of us may have never thought to ask: how does a soul, a spiritual entity experience pain? If, as we just said, the soul separates from the body at death and the judgment is immediate, how will damned souls suffer in Hell during the time before they are reunited to their physical bodies at the Last Judgment? DeStefano describes a soul as, ‘… the immortal, immaterial part of a human being. It’s what gives a human being life. It’s the animating principle of the body. It is also the seat of the intellect and the will. In other words, the soul gives human beings the ability to reason and to choose.’ As such, though they cannot feel physical sensations any longer, they still possess the ability to experience pain and terror much like we do during the throes of a nightmare. I will forgo the book’s descriptions of this pain, which is indeed terrible—and yet not so terrible as it could be through the Mercy of God.
Chapter 7 is the Last Judgment, the public affirmation of everyone’s particular judgment. And if there is one thing the author emphasized it is that Hell is irrevocable and eternal. Because God is a merciless tyrant? Not at all. Because souls in Hell—like the fallen angels—have seen God and made their choice. In the hereafter, we are no longer the wishy-washy beings we are here. The Light of God will change us forever. It will confirm us in our Love for Him or our rejection of Him—the only two choices. The damned cannot bear to be in God’s presence, hence they flee from Him.
Chapter 8 is called the Monstrous Make-over. Body and soul are reunited. Here our journey reveals the pain that comes from having a hellish body. Christ used a horrific image to describe the suffering people in hell when he said, “Their worm does not die.” He was actually quoting the prophet Isaiah: “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” This would not have to be a literal ‘worm’, or even actual fire but anything which would eat away at or distort/disfigure the body.
Chapter 9 describes the terrain of Hell, what we can know and what is only speculative. Here, as throughout the book, I appreciated his honesty about the differences in the various traditions as well as all the open questions.
Chapters 10 through 12 describe the various activities in Hell: 1) Enslavement to demons; 2) Punishments to fit the crime; and 3) Relationships in the City of the Damned. As you can see, there is way too much to go into. You are just going to have to read the book and you really need to as your everlasting future depends on it. (This is just the guide to the guide.)
Chapter 13 is highly speculative. It is called, A Day in Hell, yet for that very reason I sort of liked it. It leaves the residents in eternal ‘time’ and actually gives them a measure of normalcy.
In the two concluding chapters, the author discusses the Evil one’s three pronged plan for filling up his realm. It’s actually quite simple which probably accounts for its chilling effectiveness:
1) First, atheism, which destroys the very possibility of repentance. Get them to stop believing in God, so there isn’t anyone to apologize to. Why say you’re sorry for committing a sin when no one is even listening?
2) Second, if that doesn’t work make them disbelieve in God’s mercy. This way of thinking and feeling is known as despair. Today, with so few going to Church, more and more broken homes, disconnected and estranged people and problems in our society, this tactic is very effective.
3) Finally, if both those methods fail, the devil will attempt to make someone a moral relativist, get them to believe there’s no such thing as objective truth. If there are no universal rights and wrongs, then we can each do whatever we think is right. You do your thing and I’ll do mine, okay? Well that’s fine until you mess with my kids or I don’t return something I ‘borrow’. That’s the problem with each of us ‘doing our own thing’. It’s not quite that simple.
The good news, of course, is that if we are reading the book—or you are reading my review—we are still ‘on tour’ and have not ‘arrived’. I don’t know about you, but I did not want to go here before I read this book and I want to go to Hell even less now that I have read about it. The difference is, the more I know about it, the more I want others to know about it, because I realize the great danger it presents to all of us. Yes, all of us.
Please, seriously consider reading this book. If not for yourself, then for someone you love!
January 18, 2024
Thought this would be more "Hell: a history" and less "Hell: and why you're going there if you don't repent you filthy sinner" -_-
December 28, 2022
In the long introduction to the book, the author makes pains to assure us that he is basing the book on facts and is being objective. However, he very frequently refers to his beliefs as “obvious” and opposing views as “nonsense”.
He paints vivid pictures of hell based on maybe a sentence of the bible. Very little appears to be anything other than the author’s view on the subject with little attempt to reference where his information comes from.
The book is somewhat entertaining, educational in that it gives an insight into American Christian beliefs.
He paints vivid pictures of hell based on maybe a sentence of the bible. Very little appears to be anything other than the author’s view on the subject with little attempt to reference where his information comes from.
The book is somewhat entertaining, educational in that it gives an insight into American Christian beliefs.
August 26, 2023
I was hesitant. The title was not all that appealing. It turned out to be well written, drawing on Dantes' Inferno, walking and talking us through greater realities of existence, sobering. Good theology and balance make this a book worth reading.
August 16, 2025
I was excited to read this, thinking it would be a brief history of Hell’s evolution—perhaps from Antiquity to the contemporary period. I understood it was written from an Orthodox perspective, but there are hundreds of years of writing on Hell alone, full of disagreements and controversies over heresy. He refuses to write about purgatory because it is Catholic, but he then includes quotes from (Anglican) C.S. Lewis and vague references to (Catholic) Dante’s Inferno, which were the most interesting features, but overall it was underwhelming.
It read as if it were written for a child, or for someone looking to answer questions on behalf of a child. Every chapter seemed to tease a new discussion, only to recycle the content of the previous one with a few new anecdotes. He reiterates the same points nearly every chapter…
“There was a lot of repetition. Repetition is when something already said or written is repeated. Have you ever been reading a book and noticed the author repeating himself? It’s like that. And it’s very real.” This is how his writing comes across.
That said, it did serve me in some way which is why it earns two stars from me. My parents kept my family out of the church for my entire life, so I never endured the simple ramblings of a pastor, priest, or even a schizophrenic neighbor. Reading this has made it easier for me to understand the thought process of the standard Christian who has somehow managed to amputate the soul from a religion of two thousand years. How? My heart and my intellect remain open to faith—but this was not a good book. Sorry!
It read as if it were written for a child, or for someone looking to answer questions on behalf of a child. Every chapter seemed to tease a new discussion, only to recycle the content of the previous one with a few new anecdotes. He reiterates the same points nearly every chapter…
“There was a lot of repetition. Repetition is when something already said or written is repeated. Have you ever been reading a book and noticed the author repeating himself? It’s like that. And it’s very real.” This is how his writing comes across.
That said, it did serve me in some way which is why it earns two stars from me. My parents kept my family out of the church for my entire life, so I never endured the simple ramblings of a pastor, priest, or even a schizophrenic neighbor. Reading this has made it easier for me to understand the thought process of the standard Christian who has somehow managed to amputate the soul from a religion of two thousand years. How? My heart and my intellect remain open to faith—but this was not a good book. Sorry!
September 15, 2022
Really enjoyed reading this book. If you've read C. S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, you probably already got the gist of DeStafano's views of hell. The author delves deeper and his book explains goes to great pains to help one understand why people choose hell. In my opinion it is very clearly written and clarifying in its arguments.
September 14, 2020
The author paints a realistic picture of a dreadful place, hell. He bases his conclusions from the teachings of the Bible, a sanctified imagination, and the historic position of the church. There are very few books on this subject, but this is one you will not want to avoid.
June 26, 2022
For one of the most fascinating subjects in all the land, this book sure was lackluster.
March 28, 2022
Интересна е книгата. Макар, че се говореше повече за теология за злото, отколкото за самия ад, тъй като май в библията адът, макар, че съществува не е описан толкова много отвъд това, че това е място където няма бог, и няма всичките му качества - няма красота, любов, доброта, истина и пр.
Трябва да прочета Божествената комедия на Данте.
Тази Книга беше интересна, но повечето от нещата не бяха нови за мен. Реално и христвните май имат проблем с обяснението на произхода на злото. Но и нормално. Все пак концепцията за злото идва в юдаизма и стария завет вдъхновена от зороастризма. След като прочета стария завет бих искал да прочета текстовете на зароастризма.
Четейки стария завет искам да тествам една парадигма дали би издържала.
Евреите са писали когато нещо лошо се случи на някой човек или група от хора, които нарушават божия закон (дори да кажем натуралния закон) че лошите неща които се случват на този човек са наказание от Бог. Разбира се евреите са описвали някакви неща които да се случвали и са го интерпретирали по тогавашните им разбирания.
Интересно ми е дали би издържала парадигмата, не че Бог те наказва
А самата липса на Бог те оставя беззащитен на злото (ентропията) да те унищожи.
Както не че грешниците бог ги наказва в ада... Просто бягството от бог в безсмъртието е ад.
А така също и в живота тук. Когато пиеш повече алкохол от колкото трябва и на сутринта имаш махмурлук то не е наказание от бога, а си е наказание от теб. Просто действия несъобразени с реалността естествено водят до своите последствия.
Разбира се концепцията за злото в библията се е развила постепенно именно и до колкото съм чувал вдъхновена от комуникацията между евреи и персийци изповядващи зороастризма.
Основната разлика между зороастризма и юдаизма/христянството е че, докато в последните злото не може да победи, даже в известна степен то след смъртта на Исус вече е загубило теологията в зороастризма, доколкото съм се информирал е че всъщност доброто може да загуби битката си със злото.
В зороастризма творението и твореца е разделено на още един слой. Имаш бог творец, който е създал добрият бог, и брат му злият бог.
Христяните приемат, че самото съществуване е добро и съответно богът творец е добър.
Интересно ми е в зороастризма какви са предсказанията за идването на "месията", защото съм чувал, че и те май имат много сходни описания на предсказания, че бог ще слезе да се разходи из земята в човешкия си аватар сходно с Исус.
Интересно ми е каква е точно ролята на месията в зороастризма и как това се отнася към битката за доброто и злото.
Реално съществуването на злото не е чак толкова мистериозно в свят в който има агенти, които имат ВОЛЯ, която е относително свободна.
Злото е цената, която бог плаща за да има творението му свободна воля.
Ако не можехме да изберем да сме зли, нямаше да сме свободни.
Но е интересно, и това се говори в тази книга, защо същества, които не само вярват, Ами знаят за бог и знаят, че не могат да победят в бунта, защо биха взели решение, знаейки, че е обречено на провал да се бунтуват...
Може би пък злото може да победи..
Има и друг момент на анализ. Реално в безсмъртието има ли действие?
Не съм сигурен.. безсмъртието, безвремието безкрайното време ти не се променяш... Това също се говори в книгата.
Склонен съм да смятам, че реалността е симулация, игра тип GTA и неща като злото, са автоматични програми, които ги има за да е по-забавна играта. Да има някаква трудност.
И неща като зло са просто непроменимо качество на вселената ни.
Живо, до колкото автоматичната ми прахосмукачка е жива.
Абе злото си е една голяма мистерия.
И още повече, предвид това, че много от умните хора, в модерния свят изцяло игнорират съществуването му.
Дори хора, които са отворени към духовното има които отричат злото. Не го приемат на сериозно...
Те са все стерилни хораз които просто явно не са се срещали със злото в стерилния балон в който се намират.
Човек трябва малко само история да прочете. Дори само история на 20ти век за да види, че лагерите на смъртта не са били просто объркване, ами са си били точно злото манифестиращо на земята... Точно ада дошъл на земята.
Трябва да прочета Божествената комедия на Данте.
Тази Книга беше интересна, но повечето от нещата не бяха нови за мен. Реално и христвните май имат проблем с обяснението на произхода на злото. Но и нормално. Все пак концепцията за злото идва в юдаизма и стария завет вдъхновена от зороастризма. След като прочета стария завет бих искал да прочета текстовете на зароастризма.
Четейки стария завет искам да тествам една парадигма дали би издържала.
Евреите са писали когато нещо лошо се случи на някой човек или група от хора, които нарушават божия закон (дори да кажем натуралния закон) че лошите неща които се случват на този човек са наказание от Бог. Разбира се евреите са описвали някакви неща които да се случвали и са го интерпретирали по тогавашните им разбирания.
Интересно ми е дали би издържала парадигмата, не че Бог те наказва
А самата липса на Бог те оставя беззащитен на злото (ентропията) да те унищожи.
Както не че грешниците бог ги наказва в ада... Просто бягството от бог в безсмъртието е ад.
А така също и в живота тук. Когато пиеш повече алкохол от колкото трябва и на сутринта имаш махмурлук то не е наказание от бога, а си е наказание от теб. Просто действия несъобразени с реалността естествено водят до своите последствия.
Разбира се концепцията за злото в библията се е развила постепенно именно и до колкото съм чувал вдъхновена от комуникацията между евреи и персийци изповядващи зороастризма.
Основната разлика между зороастризма и юдаизма/христянството е че, докато в последните злото не може да победи, даже в известна степен то след смъртта на Исус вече е загубило теологията в зороастризма, доколкото съм се информирал е че всъщност доброто може да загуби битката си със злото.
В зороастризма творението и твореца е разделено на още един слой. Имаш бог творец, който е създал добрият бог, и брат му злият бог.
Христяните приемат, че самото съществуване е добро и съответно богът творец е добър.
Интересно ми е в зороастризма какви са предсказанията за идването на "месията", защото съм чувал, че и те май имат много сходни описания на предсказания, че бог ще слезе да се разходи из земята в човешкия си аватар сходно с Исус.
Интересно ми е каква е точно ролята на месията в зороастризма и как това се отнася към битката за доброто и злото.
Реално съществуването на злото не е чак толкова мистериозно в свят в който има агенти, които имат ВОЛЯ, която е относително свободна.
Злото е цената, която бог плаща за да има творението му свободна воля.
Ако не можехме да изберем да сме зли, нямаше да сме свободни.
Но е интересно, и това се говори в тази книга, защо същества, които не само вярват, Ами знаят за бог и знаят, че не могат да победят в бунта, защо биха взели решение, знаейки, че е обречено на провал да се бунтуват...
Може би пък злото може да победи..
Има и друг момент на анализ. Реално в безсмъртието има ли действие?
Не съм сигурен.. безсмъртието, безвремието безкрайното време ти не се променяш... Това също се говори в книгата.
Склонен съм да смятам, че реалността е симулация, игра тип GTA и неща като злото, са автоматични програми, които ги има за да е по-забавна играта. Да има някаква трудност.
И неща като зло са просто непроменимо качество на вселената ни.
Живо, до колкото автоматичната ми прахосмукачка е жива.
Абе злото си е една голяма мистерия.
И още повече, предвид това, че много от умните хора, в модерния свят изцяло игнорират съществуването му.
Дори хора, които са отворени към духовното има които отричат злото. Не го приемат на сериозно...
Те са все стерилни хораз които просто явно не са се срещали със злото в стерилния балон в който се намират.
Човек трябва малко само история да прочете. Дори само история на 20ти век за да види, че лагерите на смъртта не са били просто объркване, ами са си били точно злото манифестиращо на земята... Точно ада дошъл на земята.
July 5, 2023
When speaking about "Hell (A Guide)" Father Mike Schmitz stated that each page of the work is an examination of conscience and after reading the book for myself I can see why. This book contains fascinating yet horrifying descriptions of what existence in the afterlife should more or less consists of based on the information given to us in the Bible, logic, and metaphysics. It's worth noting that despite not being a work of apologetics (the goal of this book is not to convince skeptics/non-believers of the existence of Hell rather it's made to inform Christians and non-Christians alike about what we can expect Hell to be like and why people go there after death) this book still does a great job of making the doctrine of Hell more digestible and reasonable than some people may consider it to be. And even if it doesn't answer all the questions someone may have, it should at least move the conversation forward from the typical talking points one may encounter in discussions with skeptics and non-believers. The best aspect of this work is how it's not only an easy read but an enjoyable one as well with DeStefano's writing mirroring that of C.S. Lewis whom he actually quotes a few times in this work. Overall, I'd say that Hell A Guide is a book that should be read by every Christian so that they not only have a more accurate and coherent conception of Hell for their own sake but also so that they can be prepared for when they encounter others who have questions, concerns, and objections to this important Christian doctrine.
March 25, 2021
A great introduction to the views of hell based on the traditional Christian interpretation of scripture. I appreciated where the author noted what was not known about hell and avoided speculation. The book's exploration of hell is quite chilling and a topic often ignored in the church today.
The book has an important message, but I'm not sure if this book will find the right audience. While I would hope that the book could be geared toward non-believers, I think the audience is likely going to be nominal Christians who believe that hell does not exist or is temporary (assuming they even would even enter a Christian book store or read Christian non-fiction). The author's bio listing only engagement with right-wing media likely will turn off politically moderate and liberal readers. While I agree with the author on the evil of abortion, the occasional reference to abortionists on par with Hitler and Stalin came across as extra-textual to the main messages in the book and further narrows the potential audience for the book. He also ends with a works-based focus on repentance, which could have had a stronger reliance on grace.
Nevertheless, with few serious books on the market that explore the concept of hell out there, it stands out as an engrossing and unique read.
The book has an important message, but I'm not sure if this book will find the right audience. While I would hope that the book could be geared toward non-believers, I think the audience is likely going to be nominal Christians who believe that hell does not exist or is temporary (assuming they even would even enter a Christian book store or read Christian non-fiction). The author's bio listing only engagement with right-wing media likely will turn off politically moderate and liberal readers. While I agree with the author on the evil of abortion, the occasional reference to abortionists on par with Hitler and Stalin came across as extra-textual to the main messages in the book and further narrows the potential audience for the book. He also ends with a works-based focus on repentance, which could have had a stronger reliance on grace.
Nevertheless, with few serious books on the market that explore the concept of hell out there, it stands out as an engrossing and unique read.
December 30, 2022
Part theology, part speculation, DeStefano paints the reader a picture of what Hell may look like and how 'life' may be there. Unlike the 'party with your mates' notion that is often laughed about as a dismissal to pondering such a spiritual question, the reality would seem much grimmer.
What is most poignant is that DeStefano says that people CHOOSE to go to Hell, just as they choose to go to Heaven. It's just that Hell is the default position. People CHOOSE Hell because at the end of their life before God, they hate how it feels (their sins exposed, their life's mistakes unforgiven).
I would encourage those who have never had anything to do with reading about the darkness as it were to pick this book up. It's not all entirely biblical, but the important bits are. The rest is left to an educated guess.
What is most poignant is that DeStefano says that people CHOOSE to go to Hell, just as they choose to go to Heaven. It's just that Hell is the default position. People CHOOSE Hell because at the end of their life before God, they hate how it feels (their sins exposed, their life's mistakes unforgiven).
I would encourage those who have never had anything to do with reading about the darkness as it were to pick this book up. It's not all entirely biblical, but the important bits are. The rest is left to an educated guess.
January 7, 2024
It was a good book but not a great book. I did enjoy this book as the author talked about Hell from a biblical approach but a lot of the book seemed like assumption and educated guesses, but that’s what you should expect when talking about Hell, a place that is like nothing of this world but is reality, and a one way ticket I do not want to buy. Thank you Jesus for your blood and perfect sacrifice and your great love and mercy!
October 29, 2024
I want to read more Christian theology, so picked up this book based on the recommendations by some public figures I follow. This was like a boring sermon- nothing in it is wrong or annoying it’s just very uninteresting and hard to get through. No new insight I guess? Anyway, I really had high expectations but it ended up being extremely uninteresting
August 8, 2025
This book was super thought provoking. I appreciated all of the effort it took to explain through beliefs. Although I do not completely agree with everything in this book, I can appreciate learning others perspectives.
Want to read
July 15, 2020AS of July 15 ,I have not received my copy.
Want to read
July 15, 2020I pushed the wrong button! I never received this book which I won!
August 2, 2020
Watching BOOKMARK, all the best, Anthony!
May 19, 2021
Some good thoughts on the seriousness of hell, but from an Armenian perspective
February 13, 2022
Exceptional!
Deeply inspiring! A necessary tour that deepened my Christian faith. This book brings clarity to Christian faith. A must read.
Deeply inspiring! A necessary tour that deepened my Christian faith. This book brings clarity to Christian faith. A must read.
May 11, 2023
Very clear, factual, biblical idea of what hell will be like. Talks quite a bit about heaven too. And it clarified many issues for me. Highly recommend.
September 11, 2025
An important book that probes human understanding of Hell; utilizing biblical teaching as a blueprint, the author paints a vivid portrait of a potentially real place to which the utterly damned will one day reside.
As a Catholic, I found this book deeply disturbing, profoundly interesting and quite worthy of reading. The author is forced to speculate upon many details, which is to be expected; he is after all attempting to grab the reader’s attention on a spiritual level. It is very well written and has a forceful tone, exhorting it’s readers to avoid the very temptations of sin that would cause a soul to descend into hell. While it has moments of repetition, this book is a unique approach to Christian teaching on morality, spiritual realms and the importance of God as the defender of goodness. It’s a book that will live in your mind long after you have read it.
Read
February 13, 2026At last I can truly see.
I am thankful that I now look at hell as a vivid reality similar to the world I am living presently in now. To visualize that a demon can walk in to my room now and physically attack me has poured a bucket of cold water over me . You definitely have my attention.
A
Powerful captivating read
I am thankful that I now look at hell as a vivid reality similar to the world I am living presently in now. To visualize that a demon can walk in to my room now and physically attack me has poured a bucket of cold water over me . You definitely have my attention.
A
Powerful captivating read
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