"Anyone who has had second thoughts about hell will appreciate Ronald J. Allen and Robert D. Cornwall’s efforts in this book to help us understand better what we believe about this and why. They have done their homework (on a vast literature), written clearly and succinctly (on difficult associated concepts), and treated a full range of views charitably and yet without avoiding the critical questions from other perspectives. If Second Thoughts about Hell does not prod you to change your mind, it will at least equip those with pastoral and teaching responsibilities to engage and also facilitate important conversations about a Christian doctrine with deep roots in the theological tradition."—Amos Yong, Chief Academic Officer, Dean of the School of Mission and Theology, and Professor of Theology and Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary

"When people say, ‘Go to hell,’ few know more than it is not a nice placen. What happens after we die? Is hell real? What does it have to do with God? In clear, simple language, Allen and Cornwall faithfully review what the Bible and theologians through the ages have said, opening a surprising range of possibilities for readers to consider. No study is more helpful than this for both preachers and laypeople in seeking answers." —Paul Scott Wilson, Professor Emeritus of Homiletics, Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto

"Allen and Cornwall describe historical and contemporary understandings of the afterlife, deftly demonstrating how social/cultural contexts inadvertently invite the church to embrace one understanding over another. But this volume is not simply an academic, ivory tower exploration. The authors know that what we believe about last things, about heaven and hell, strongly inform our understandings of the mission of the church, the purposes of worship and preaching, and the ways we provide care and hope to our congregations and wider communities. It is a very important conversation. (Or we might say a hell of a conversa