Christ the Conquerer of Hell: the Descent into Hades from an Orthodox Perspective

Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev

This in-depth study on the realm of death presents a message of hope held by the first generations of Christians and the early church.  Using Scripture, patristic tradition, early Christian poetry, and liturgical texts, Archbishop Hilarion explores the mysterious and enigmatic event of Christ's descent into Hades and its consequences for the human race.  Insisting that Christ entered Shoel as Conquerer and not as victim, the author depicts the Lord's descent as an event of cosmic significance opening the path to universal salvation.  He also reveals Hades as a place of divine presence, a place where the spiritual fate of a person may still change.  Reminding readers that self-will remains the only hinderance to life in Christ, he presents the gospel message anew, even in the shadow of death.

231 pages
Paperback
Published 2009
size: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.75"
ISBN-13: 978-0-88141-061-7