Versuch über die Hölle

The aim of this article is to attempt a reasonable reconstruction of the subject of hell. The theological starting point is the constitutive connection between human self-awareness and the divine presence of the Creator as its ultimate truth. The torments of hell are un- derstood - with critical reference to biblical formulations, Kierkegaard, and Dante - as a consequence of permanent hostility towards God and existential untruth. These leave the selves of the lost just as inescapably attached to the reference to God as they are desperate in their struggle to escape it. Finally, Christ's descent into hell is discussed in relation to the question of so-called eternal damnation.