If
you are one of those people who like to think deeply on theological subjects,
than this may be the next book to read. Gregg contends there are three highly
held viewpoints out there in the evangelical world, either one of which still
can be defended through history.
You
may be surprised to read who in present day Christendom is in which camp.
The
three views are the traditionalist view that says hell is eternal and never
ending. Then there is the Condition view that states Hell is for a time and
then the souls are annihilated. The third one is that the unsaved go to hell
but after a period of time are reconciled to God. This reminds me of the
doctrine the Roman Catholics hold called purgatory. In the back of the book the
three views are detailed and a chart is offered with the scripture verse, the
held point of view, and the refutation. It is helpful to get the argument expressed
in a way you can understand.
I
enjoyed the book. I am one of those who like to be challenged when it comes to
doctrine.
I
feel the book is more for seminary students to have during their systematic
theology course to consider other viewpoints. It is not a book for the common
reader who may not understand the nuances of debate. Having said that I feel it
is a well written and deserves to be read widely.
I
was given this book free to review by BookSneeze as one of their blog
reviewers. I placed it on my blog as a part of the requirements. The viewpoints
expressed are those of the reviewer and not of the publisher. I wasn’t required
to give a positive review.
