Book Reviews and Links to Purchase
This page will continually be updated because I have so many books on the topic of hell to recommend to everyone.
This page will feature short book reviews and links to purchase on either Amazon on another online retailer. I like promoting books because I feel that an informed faith is better than an ignorant faith. If you have any book recommendations not listed here, feel free to let me know
Books on Universalism
Author: Walter Balfour
Probably one of my all-time favorite books on hell. Walter Balfour was a 19th century theologian and author who wrote a lot about this topic. However, he is a universalist, but this book does not promote Universalism as much as it tears apart the eternal torment view and demonstrates why it is an incorrect interpretation. Therefore, there is no fluff here, only meat and potatoes so It may take you a while to read this hefty and scholarly book, but you will know so much more about hell when you finish.
The for the book is here.
Author: Hosea Ballou
Great book on the history of Universalism. Most of the information here is in one of the other three “Scholars Select” series listed here but does have some otherwise really good information in it. I still highly recommend it, along with the other three if anyone desires to get a more holistic view of what a “true” universalism belief entails instead of the straw-man position coming from many Christians.
The link for the book is HERE.
Author: Edward Beecher
Along with the Balfour book, this one by Edward Beecher should be mandatory reading for any person who is researching the topic of Universalism. It is the #1 or #2 book of all-time concerning this topic and is well researched and well written. It is also the oldest source I can find (as of now) that refers to the six ancient theological schools in which four taught Universalism. Beecher is the one often quoted by contemporary UR adherents about this topic. However, Beecher does not cite his sources, so the trail ends here. But those few chapters are alone worth the price of the book.
The link for the book is HERE.
Author: John Wesley Hanson
Terrific book detailing the ancient history of Universalism. This book lays out the argument that in the first five centuries after Christ, Universalism was the dominant view within Christianity. Though the argument is not 100% watertight and irrefutable, he makes so many excellent points that his arguments must be taken seriously, and the Christian must recognize that Universalism was, indeed, a very popular view in the early church. This is another great read.
The link for the book is HERE.
Books on Annihilationism
Author: Chris Date et al..
Terrific book (the gold standard actually) that promotes annhiliationism. However, it is not one single book but consists of several different authors who each contribute a separate essay/chapter to the book. It is around 400 pages so there is a lot of content here and it will therefore serve anyone well who is either just investigating the topic of hell in general or annihilationism specifically.
The link for the book is here.
Author: Dirk Waren
Terrific book on hell that similiarly features great information that supports the annihilation theory with the previous Rethinking Hell book. Waren packs as much factual evidence as he can into one 400 page book. Additionally, it is written for the general Christian and not for the scholar which makes it very accessible to anyone interested in the topic of annihilation. As a result, your knowledge will increase greatly with the reading of this book.
The link for the book is here.
Author: D. L. Kennedy
*Must Read* in companion to Erasing Hell by Francis Chan. This books tagline is: Rebutting Francis Chan so it therefore is basically the annihilationist view in response to Chan and Sprinkle’s book. Accordingly, if anyone is just beginning to explore the topic of Hell, I would highly, highly recommend reading Erasing Hell first and then this one next because it functions almost like a debate on hell from two great writers who are passionate about the subject. Even for those who are seasoned veterans on the hell debate, these two books together will nevertheless present a terrific case on each others view of hell.
This link for the book is here.
Author: Kim Papaioannou
This is essentially the author’s PhD dissertation where he studies all the words and descriptions of the place of hell throughout Christian history. He contributed a chapter to the “Rethinking Hell” book and is considered an annihilationist, so I placed the book in this category. However, it could also be in the “general” or “history” section. Terrific book that I highly recommend anyone to read who is even somewhat interested in this topic.
The link for the book is here.
Author: Douglas Barry
Terrific and short 86-page book that lays out the doctrine of annihilationism (or conditional immortality) for anyone unfamiliar to what the doctrine entails. Not an exhaustive take on the position, but is great to give out or recommend to someone curious about what annihilationists believe and why without being a massive 400 page undertaking like some books out there.
The link for the book is here.
Author: Tanwin Tanoto
Another good, short book that lays out the belief in conditional immortality (annihilationism). It is only 69 pages long and would be a great book to give to a friend or use as a study group in church to demonstrate the biblical support for this view of hell. The link for the book is here.
Author: Edward Fudge
Probably the best and most thorough book on annihilationism ever. It was originally written in 1980 but has been updated a few times and is still the pinnacle for all things annihilation. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone curious about this belief in hell. It is that good.
The link for the book is here.
Books on Separationism
Author: Phillip Almond
Great book that sheds light on the “separation view” of hell and when it began to be wide spread. However, that is not the sole focus of this book because it focuses on the enlightenment period of hell only and not the entire history of Christianity. Nevertheless, it is still an important part of the history of the hell doctrine because so much changed during this time. It is a historical book with great information on how hell has evolved over the last 500 years and why that is so important to understand how the evolution impacts modern understanding of hell.
The link for the book is here.
Author: C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis’s super popular book that really makes the “separation” view mainstream. This is the book where he states that the gates of hell “are locked from the inside.” If you desire to know precisely where this modern concept of “hell as separation” began, this is the book you should read.
The link for the book is here.
Books on Eternal Torment
Author: Francis Chan
Probably my favorite book on the Traditional View of hell. Chan writes with such humbleness (and some humor) that he makes a difficult topic easier to swallow and, above all, I appreciate his passion for trying to teach what the Bible says and not staying away from the difficult issues. I would therefore highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to explore the traditional view. Interesting note…He cowrote with scholar Preston Sprinkle who, after writing this book, subsequently came out as an annhilitionist.
The link of the book is here.
Author: Dirk Warren
For books trying to promote eternal conscious torment, this is one of the better ones out there. It has various scholars who think the same and know the topic of eternal damnation while attempting to promote the traditional view of hell as being the only “biblical” version. If someone desires a conservative evangelical view of hell, this is probably the top choice. Well-written with respectable theologians giving their educated opinions.
The link for the book is here.
Books on the History of Hell
Author: Alice K. Turner
Additionally, another good historical book on how hell came into human consciousness. It is not as scholarly as The Formation of Hell by Alan Bernstein, however, but has just as much, if not more, information than that historical book. As a result, this one might be easier to read and likewise may also be the best historical book on hell out there which makes it one of my all-time favorite books on hell.
The link for the book is here.
Author: Alan Bernstein
Probably the #1 book regarding the history of hell and how the doctrine came to be in the church. Additionally, it reads more like a history book rather than a theological book but it is vitally important to understand where the doctrine of hell originated as well as all the various religious beliefs regarding the early church’s version of hell. This book is so important it is the main reason why I chose the “History of Hell” as my first blog series. I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to learn and explore about hell.
The link for the book here.
Great book from scholar Bart Ehrman who does a good, deep dive into the history of thoughts about the afterlife come from. Though he is an excellent scholar, this book is written for the general public and will not be over anyone’s head, as the Bernstein book might be. Highly recommended for anyone looking into the subject of the history of hell.
The link for the book is here.
This is just one of a 6-part series from Eileen Gardner who has a separate book for various religion’s views of hell. This is about the Zoroastrian Hell but she has books on hell from religion’s such as Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Hindu, Buddhist, etc… Highly recommend any of these short books for a good introduction to hell from non-Christian religions. If you desire her books (highly recommended) just click on this link and then scroll down to “other books by this author.”
The link for this book is here.
General Topics Related to Hell
Author: William Crocket, ed.
No one who researches this this topic can go without reading this important work. It is part of the “point counterpoint” series from Zondervan that compiles different theologians and scholars who write essays that disagree with each other. Therefore, it is probably the landmark book on hell that was originally published in 1993. I’m a bit disappointed, however, that they had an essay on “purgatory” instead of “universalism” but it still is a good book for anyone wanting to hear a scholarly argument on the main views of hell and their responses to each other’s essay. Still, it is a great book on hell.
The link for the book is here.
Author: Dante Alighieri
Mandatory reading for anyone even remotely interested in the subject of hell. Most contemporary views of hell actually come from this book and not from the Bible. Read this and then you will see how the modern view of hell became mainstream.
The link for the book is here.
Author: John Milton
The “other” mandatory reading for those interested in hell. A few hundred years after Dante, John Milton popularized the traditional view of hell with this fictional account that became the backbone for hell belief. It is written very, very well and is an excellent addition to anyone’s library–even just for literary reasons.
The link for the book is here.
