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 human soul in hell after the death of the physical body -- a punishment supposedly for those who lived unrepentant wicked lives. I myself grew up in an "evangelical" culture where such things were similarly taught. And not just modern evangelicalism, but Roman Catholic and Orthodox teachings have historically taught such things.
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 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.