Rethinking of the hell: the second Chance theories in the modern English and Amerikan philosophy of religion

Abstract

Problem of hell is a philosophical problem related to theological doctrine of eternal punishment. It is a variation of the problem of Evil. With a few exceptions, the traditional concept of hell has prevailed in Christian thought since the time of early Christianity and until the XIX century. In general, this doctrine of afterlife teaches that after death the souls of sinners fall into hell, where they punished by eternal fire. The article presents some objections to the traditional model of hell and considers a number of alternative theories. The particular attention has been paid to The Second Chance Theory and its varieties (escapism). Author of the article shows that such escapists as A. Buckareff, A. Plug and others understood the hell as an autonomous place or state, which God creates for those who do not want to communicate with him. Accordingly, the inhabitants of hell may at any time change their status and join the community of the saved. The author analyzes how this theory related to the concept of metaphysical libertarian free will, which admitted by the supporters of free will theodicy (R. Swinburne, E. Stump). The author concludes that current religious and philosophical reflection developing in the discourse of humanist culture tend to rational criticism, which rejects the traditional model of hell for reasons of moral, psychological, logical and philosophical nature. This creates a need for new theories, designed to amend or reinterpret the traditional concept of hell.