{"product_id":"the-formation-of-hell-death-and-retribution-in-the-ancient-and-early-christian-worlds","title":"The Formation of Hell: Death and Retribution in the Ancient and Early Christian Worlds","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat becomes of the wicked? Hellexile from God  subjection to fire  worms  and darknessfor centuries the idea has shaped the dread of malefactors  the solace of victims  and the deterrence of believers. Although we may associate the notion of hell with Christian beliefs  its gradual emergence depended on conflicting notions that pervaded the Mediterranean world more than a millennium before the birth of Christ. Asking just why and how belief in hell arose  Alan E. Bernstein takes us back to those times and offers us a comparative view of the philosophy  poetry  folklore  myth  and theology of that formative age. Bernstein draws on sources from ancient Egypt  Mesopotamia  Greece  Rome  and Israel  as well as early Christian writings through Augustine  in order to reconstruct the story of the prophets  priests  poets  and charismatic leaders who fashioned concepts of hell from an array of perspectives on death and justice. The author traces hells formation through close readings of works including the epics of Homer and Vergil  the satires of Lucian  the dialogues of Plato and Plutarch  the legends of Enoch  the confessions of the Psalms  the prophecies of Isaiah  Ezechiel  and Daniel  and the parables of Jesus. Reenacting lively debates about the nature of hell among the common people and the elites of diverse religious traditions  he provides new insight into the social implications and the psychological consequences of different visions of the afterlife. This superb account of a central image in Western culture will captivate readers interested in history  mythology  literature  psychology  philosophy  and religion.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44986026033205,"sku":"ByrdShop_0801481317","price":23.81,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780801481314.jpg?v=1770882211","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-formation-of-hell-death-and-retribution-in-the-ancient-and-early-christian-worlds","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}