“It is hard to understand the psychology of pious Christians who calmly accept the fact that their neighbors, friends, and relatives will perhaps be damned. I cannot resign myself to the fact that the man with whom I am drinking tea is doomed to eternal torments.” — Nikolai Berdiaev
How does one live the doctrine of an eternal hell? Is there a single person whose eternal perdition we would accept without despair? A belief, after all, is no mere assent to a doctrinal proposition. A belief must be fully experienced, it must change who we are and how we act. Who among us is willing to imagine the fullest torments of the damned and then to accept that even one person we know will be consigned to such a fate forever?
Want to keep reading?
Subscribe for free to access this article and all of our resources.
I’m very grateful for the work of MO and have really appreciated the things I’ve learned and the companion that it has been for me on my spiritual journey.
Mere Orthodoxy reader
Thank you for offering thoughtful, reasonable and decent commentary. It is a boon to my sanity at this stage of my life in this cultural moment.
Mere Orthodoxy reader
Mere Orthodoxy is (for me) a counterpoint to social media, a place of depth and critical thought.
Mere Orthodoxy reader
You're in. Check your inbox.
Something went wrong. Try again.
Ana Siljak
Ana Siljak is Associate Professor of Humanities in the Hamilton Center at the University of Florida. Her current research and publications focus on Russian philosophy and religious thought. She is currently writing a book on the personalist philosophy of Nikolai Berdiaev and editing a translation of the correspondence between Nikolai Berdiaev and Jacques Maritain (forthcoming from McGill-Queen’s University Press).
.png?width=5000&height=2188&name=Mere%20Orthodoxy%20-%20Banner.png%20(1).png)
