Saw this tweet from Mark Driscoll and thought I would share since I have blogged and taught on Love Wins a bit.
The link refered to is from Christian History Magazine which has put out a resource (pdf) on various views of hell.
A quick summary of some of the early writers based on the article (italics are my additions):
- Justin Martyr – potential father of inclusivism – writings inspired later thinkers to speculate on fate of unbelievers who did not have access to gospel.
- Irenaeus – eternal punishment awaited those who rejected Jesus
- Tertullian – eternal punishment awaited unbelievers
- Origen – father of universalism / postmortem evangelism – writings speculate on fires of hell as purifying
- Athanasius – potential father of annilationism
- Augustine – eternal punishment awaited unbelievers
and a summary on some of the reformers:
- Huldrych Zwingli – reformed inclusivism – those elect by God are saved (even if they don’t hear the gospel)
- Martin Luther – eternal separation awaited unbelievers
- John Calvin – eternal separation awaited unbelievers (unelect)
The article contains many more as well as a list of books that have added to the discussion on the after-life.
