Understanding "Hell" for the First Time
If there ever was a doctrine of the historic Church that has caused discomfort, fear, and controversy more than any other, it would be the classic teaching of "eternal torment" of the soul in hell after the death of the physical body -- a punishment for those who lived unrepentant wicked lives. I myself grew up in an "evangelical" culture where it was similarly taught that those who did not believe in Jesus for personal salvation would end up going to "hell" after they died. And not just modern evangelicalism, but Roman Catholic and Orthodox teachings have always taught "eternal torment" of the wicked soul after death in one way or another.
But as it turns out, this notion of the soul in torment after death forever (whether as a direct punishment, or as CS Lewis taught, that the doors of hell are "locked from the inside" -- seems to be based in ignorance of the social and religious context of the words of Jesus. It seems that the historic church has ultimately taken literally what was actually meant to be allegorical, psychological, and rooted in cultural honor and shame.
Here at the Honor/Shame Bible, we propose a whole new framework by which to explain the idea of "hell" as taught by Jesus of Nazareth.