own it

Religious ideas are sticky for a lot of people. As in: People get stuck in them. Since I posted "hells bells" a couple of weeks ago I've been wanting to toss something at you to consider the sticky nature of religious ideas, and to prompt some thought about the danger that is inherent in getting stuck in a particular religious idea in an absolute way.

One of the ways to explore a religious idea is to track the history of the idea. It's important to track the history of (religious) ideas, because we fool ourselves when we think that they are static and fixed. Like any idea, religious ideas have a past. Religious ideas did not emerge ex nihilo, and if you hold a religious idea as true in one way or another, and use that idea to inform your understanding of the world and your interactions with others then you owe it to yourself, your religion, and your relationships to do your homework and consider the evolution of religious ideas.

I'm going to offer a brief example, just something to provide some momentum in case you feel so inclined to heed my suggestion. While it's still fresh, let's take a look at Hell. And after this I'll lay off of the morbid topics for a while. Promise.

I anticipate feedback similar to some of the comments on the "biblical" post - and that's okay, I understand that this is a controversial and intimidating topic, I understand that for some people a literal interpretation of the idea of Hell is a lynch pin in their worldview. It is my opinion that Hell is an idea that has built on other ideas and that has developed and shifted in Christian thought. I recognize that by not asserting that Hell is an absolute reality that has always meant the same thing (namely, postmortem everlasting torment for unsaved individuals) I am challenging something that is central to some Christian theologies. I understand that and I am okay with it.

We're going to do this bullet-point style, try to keep it brief. I'm hoping that this is more catalystic than conclusive. Proverbial food for thought. Something to chew on; but by no means anything worth gnashing your teeth over. Here it goes...

A bit on Heaven first

• There are 7 or 8 different words that are translated as "heaven" in the Christian Bible - a few in Hebrew, the rest in Greek
• They all have to do with the sky, with the air, with the celestial heights, loftiness, the horizon
• Basically "heaven" functions as a point of reference - Where is God? Up there. Heaven.

A bit on Copernicus

• Before him, the universe revolved around us - the "up there" swirled and twirled around us. We were the fixed point of reference.
• (His ideas weren't precisely new, these ideas were floating around before him, but for one reason or another he gets credit in the West)
• After Copernicus, "up there" got traded in for "out there"
• In other words, a change in worldview resulted in a change in meaning. Heaven no longer means the high up, lofty place (because thanks to Copernicus "up" is kind of arbitrary).
• Heaven isn't "up there" (its biblical use) but is "out there" (like a different dimension or realm). The idea of Heaven shifts. Ideas do that.

Hell the concept

• Just like Heaven, the idea of Hell (the one that is likely in your head right now, though no doubt it varies amongst my readers) was a long time in the making
• Complex and poignant images from the Bible
• + Various imaginative cultural portrayals (Dante, Milton, Blake)
• + Personal imagination and disposition
• = Crystallization of contemporary concept of Hell

Hell the word

• Hell is an English word. (Remember, the Bible was not written in English. So "Hell" is not, strictly speaking, in the Bible.)
• The English word Hell derived from its Germanic parent around 725 CE
• "Halja" = to conceal, hide, cover - (As in the now outdated use: "helling potatoes")

Hell in the Bible

(These are words that get translated into English as "Hell" - obviously different translations will vary. I think these numbers are from the NRSV. Not a precise or complete word study, but should be informative. Feel free to look into it for yourself!)

• Sheol (Hebrew, 31x) - grave, pit, retreat, subterranean place of the dead, leveling place
• Abbadon (Hebrew, ??x) - destruction, perish
• Gehenna (Greek, 12x) - literally "Valley of Hinnom", garbage dump outside of ancient Jerusalem, site of ancient pagan sacrifices
• Hades (Greek, 10x) - grave, place of the departed, (god of the) underworld
• Tartarus (Greek, 1x) - deepest abyss, (actually a verb in the NT, tartaroo)

Mix it all up

• So behind the word "Hell", depending on the text it is used in, there are a variety of meanings
• death, pit, destroying fire, afterlife, etc
• (Only about 20% of the usages are associated with fire)
• Hell in the English New Testament is always connected with the judgement of right and wrong actions.
• Pauline texts deal with judgement as well, but they have no mention of Gehenna or Hades.

What do we make of all of this? Do we read "Hell" in the Bible and assume that every occurrence of the word is referring to a lake of fire (as in Rev. 20) or that every occurrence is referring to the afterlife or that every occurrence is referring to punishment? It doesn't seem that that would be an honest way to honor the complexity of the use of the term in the Bible. I suppose it's an option, but it's not the only biblical option.

If you opt to interpret Hell as a literal fiery abyss, or if you opt to interpret Hell as a figurative annihilation, or if you opt to interpret the idea figuratively in Hellish manifestations on earth - regardless of what you think Hell is or means, own up to it. There are a lot of options. Do your homework, and chose well.