College Seminar (101-7-25)

Topic

The History of Hell

Instructors

Glenn Sucich

Meeting Info

University Library 4670: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

Depictions of "hell" have differed dramatically throughout history. In the Hebrew Bible, for instance, the underworld, or Sheol, is represented as a neutral place where all people, the wicked and the righteous, go after death. By contrast, the New Testament describes hell as a place reserved exclusively for the wicked, where the "Devil and his angels" are made to suffer "eternal fire" (Matt 25:41). Similar differences can be found in later texts as well. The physical hell of Dante's Inferno, with its descending rings and fantastical torments, is far different from the internal, personal hell from which Satan and others suffer in Milton's Paradise Lost. For Dante, hell is a physical place; for Milton, it is a psychological state. Why?

This course will examine the ways in which interpretations of hell and its inhabitants reflect the religious, political, and intellectual ferment of particular cultures at particular historical moments.

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required