Hell and its Afterlife Historical and Contemporary Perspectives Edited by Isabel Moreira and Margaret Toscano Hell and its afterlife the notion of an infernal place of punishment for “undesired” elements in human culture and human nature has a long history both as religious idea and as cultural metaphor. this book brings together a wide array of scholars who examine hell as an idea within the Christian tradition and its “afterlife” in historical and contemporary imagination. leading scholars grapple with the construction and meaning of hell in the past and investigate its modern utility as a means to describe what is perceived as horrific or undesirable in modern culture. While the idea of an infernal region of punishment was largely developed in the context of early Jewish and Christian religious culture, it remains a central belief for some Christians in the modern world. Hell’s reception (its “afterlife”) in the modern world has extended hell’s meaning beyond the religious realm; hell has become a pervasive image and metaphor in political rhetoric, in popular culture, and in the media. Bringing together scholars from a variety of fields to contribute to a wider understanding of this fascinating and important cultural idea, this book will appeal to readers from historical, religious, literary and cultural perspectives. This page has been left blank intentionally Hell and its afterlife Historical and Contemporary Perspectives Edited by isabel Moreira and Margaret tosCano University of Utah, USA © isabel Moreira, Margaret toscano and the contributors 2010 all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. isabel Moreira and Margaret toscano have asserted their right under the Copyright, designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the editors of this work. Published by ashgate Publishing limited ashgate Publishing Company Wey Court East Suite 420 Union road 101 Cherry street farnham burlington Surrey, GU9 7PT VT 05401-4405 england Usa www.ashgate.com British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Hell and its afterlife : historical and contemporary perspectives. 1. Hell–Christianity. 2. Hell–Christianity–History of doctrines. 3. Hell. 4. Hell in literature. i. Moreira, isabel. ii. toscano, Margaret Merrill 236.2’5–dc22 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Moreira, isabel. Hell and its afterlife : historical and contemporary perspectives / isabel Moreira and Margaret toscano. p. cm. includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 978-0-7546-6729-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4094-1751-4 (ebook) 1. Hell—Christianity—History of doctrines. 2. Religion and the arts. 3. Hell. i. toscano, Margaret Merrill, ii. title. bt836.3.M65 2010 202’.3—dc22 2010028978 ISBN 9780754667292 (hbk) ISBN 9781409417514 (ebk) Contents List of Figures vii List of Abbreviations ix Notes on Contributors xi Acknowledgments xv introduction: Holding ajar the gates of Hell 1 Isabel Moreira and Margaret Toscano PArT I THe TrADITIon of HeLL In THe oLD WorLD 1 love is Hell: torment, sex, and redemption in the Cupid and Psyche Myth 9 Margaret Toscano 2 early Visions of Hell as a Place of education and Conversion 29 Jeffrey A. Trumbower 3 Plucking sinners out of Hell: saint Martin of tours’ resurrection Miracle 39 Isabel Moreira 4 named others and named Places: stigmatization in the early Medieval afterlife 53 Alan E. Bernstein 5 a franciscan Kind of Hell 73 Megan C. Armstrong 6 Catholic and Protestant Hells in later reformation england 89 Peter Marshall PArT II THe reCePTIon of HeLL In MoDern TIMes AnD ConTeMPorAry DIALogue 7 devils Conquering and Conquered: Changing Visions of Hell in spanish america 103 Fernando Cervantes vi Hell and its Afterlife 8 Hell with Purgatory and two limbos: the geography and theology of the Underworld 121 Henry Ansgar Kelly 9 Hell Yes! Hell no! evangelical debates on eternal Punishment 137 John Sanders 10 turning the devils out of doors: Mormonism and the Concept of Hell 153 Brian D. Birch 11 James Joyce and the (Modernist) Hellmouth 165 Vincent J. Cheng 12 sin City: Urban damnation in dante, blake, t.s. eliot, and James thomson 175 Disa Gambera 13 What If It’s Just Good Business? Hell, Business Models, and the dilution of Justice in Mike Carey’s Lucifer 191 Charles W. King 14 Guardian Demons in Hellboy: Hybridity in Contemporary american Horror films 203 Sharon Lee Swenson 15 Hell in our Time: Dantean Descent and the Twenty-first Century “War on Terror” 217 Rachel Falconer Bibliography 237 Index 263 list of figures 1.1 endymion sarcophagus, roman, marble, c. 200–220 C.e. (image © the Metropolitan Museum of art, nY) 15 1.2 Endymion Sarcophagus, close-up of lower left (image © the Metropolitan Museum of art, nY) 17 1.3 roman sarcophagus, marble, c. 190–200 C.e. (at the Metropolitan Museum of art, nY, photographed by Corrinne lewis) 21 12.1 gustave doré illustration for Inferno i. 1–3. 1861 177 12.2 sandow birk illustration for Inferno i. 1–3. 2005 178 12.3 sandow birk illustration for Inferno iii. 9–11. 2005 190 13.1 Pain fields (Lucifer, #15, p. 15) © dC Comics. all rights reserved 198 13.2 the Pain factory (Lucifer, #17, p. 9) © dC Comics. all rights reserved 199 13.3 lucifer as Ceo with briefcase (Lucifer, #9, p. 22) © dC Comics. all rights reserved 200 This page has been left blank intentionally list of abbreviations CCCM Corpus Christianorum, continuatio Medievalis. (turnhout, belgium: brepols) CCsl Corpus Christianorum, series latina. (turnhout, belgium: brepols) Csel Corpus scriptorium ecclesiasticorum latinorum (Vienna) DTC Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique MgH Monumenta germaniae historica MgH, aa Monumenta germaniae historica, auctores antiquissimi MgH, srM Monumenta germaniae historica, scriptores rerum Merovingicarum Mln Modern language notes (baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press) NPNF Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (Edinburgh: Grand Rapids, Michigan). odCC Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. f.l. Cross, ed. 3, ed. e.a. livingstone (oxford: oxford University Press, 1997). PL Patrologiae cursus completus: series latina, ed. J.-P. Migne. 221 vols, (Paris) sC sources chrétiennes. (Paris: editions du cerf).