Fire That Consumes

Edward William Fudge is a Christian theologian, Bible teacher, author, and, for more than twenty years, a practicing attorney.

"I commend this book warmly. It is likely to remain a standard work to which everyone engaged with this issue will constantly return."Richard Bauckham, Emeritus Professor of New Testament Studies, University of St Andrews"The Fire That Consumes has long been recognized as one of the most thorough and compelling statements available of the view that the destiny of the unsaved will be final destruction rather than eternal torment. In this new edition, Edward Fudge provides extended engagement with traditionalist critics and an overview of developments in the last thirty years ensuring that it will remain a definitive work on the issue for years to come."John R. Franke, Theologian in Residence, First Presbyterian Church of Allentown"The Fire That Consumes covers wide territory and, as such, it will no doubt continue to serve students of theology in a variety of contexts hoping to gain an introduction to this vast topic. Furthermore, Fudge's work is rooted in a plethora of secondary sources such as biblical commentaries, patrological works, and systematic theologies, which will no doubt serve researchers who wish for a place to begin."Jason Radcliff, in The Expository Times, Vol 124, No 9"Fudge's book is an important contribution to Evangelical scholarship because of his detailed outline of the dissonance between the traditional view and the biblical passages which discuss the final punishment of the wicked. Fudge's work would be a welcome addition to any college course which seeks to delve into the biblical and historical data concerning the doctrine of final punishment."Stephen J. Crupi, Cedarville University, in Theological Book Review, Vol 25, No 2"Fudge has left no stone unturned...Fudge engages what seems to be every possible source. These include the entire Christian history, John Calvin and, of course, those scholars who agree with him. He also argues with all those scholars who, in recent years, have disagreed on the fate of the unsaved...This book should be of great interest to evangelical Christians who are concerend about the issue of hell and the fate of those who are not saved. Those who may be less interested for reasons of being universalists or taking the biblical texts less literally will still take pleasure in following Fudge's zealous case."Doreen M. McFarlane, Reviews in Religion & Theology, vol 22, issue 1, January 2015

• Foreword to Third Edition / Richard Bauckham Foreword to First Edition / F. F. Bruce Foreword to Second Edition / John W. Wenham Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1. Rethinking Hell: Apostasy or New Reformation? 2. Back to the Bible: The Protestant Principle 3. Souls: Immortal or Otherwise 4. Aionios: Duration, Quality, or Both? 5. Sheol/Hades: Gravedom? 6. Divine Justice: When? 7. Divine Justice: Historical Examples 8. Divine Justice: Messiah and the End 9. Diversity: Apocrypha and Dead Sea Scrolls 10. Diversity: Pseudepigrapha 11. Jesus: Fire (Gehenna) 12. Jesus: Fire (Gehenna Not Named) 13. Jesus: Fire (Parable of the Sheep and the Goats) 14. Jesus: Fire (Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus) 15. Jesus: Non-fire Images 16. Golgotha: Judgment Revealed (1) 17. Golgotha: Judgment Revealed (2) 18. Thessalonians 19. Galatians and Corinthians 20. Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 21. Hebrews, James, Acts 22. 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude 23. Revelation 24. Apostolic Fathers and Their Successors 25. The Apologists: A Fire That Torments 26. Apokatastasis: A Fire That Purifies 27. Arnobius to Augustine 28. Augustine's Case for Unending Torment 29. Middle Ages to Reformation 30. John Calvin: Psychopannychia 31. An Old Tradition Questioned 32. Roots of the Current Recovery 33. The Evangelical Recovery Continues 34. A Kinder and Gentler Traditionalism 35. Refreshing the Memory 36. Afterword Bibliography Index of Authors Index of Scriptures and Other Ancient Documents